Invictus
by ladynerdynerd
Summary: A thirteen year old secret, a family caught up in the dark ambitions of a corrupt man and a friendship on the brink of change; Raphael knew that stranger things could always happen in the life that he shared with his brothers, he just never expected anything like what was to come.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello chums! Here's the sitch; a few years ago I started writing a fic called Justification Of The Heart which I ended up abandoning because, aside from life getting in the way and all the usual stuff, I just couldn't really sink my teeth into it the way I wanted to. But, the idea, the characters and the story have never left me and I've wanted to come back to it for ages so that's what I'm doing. I've scrapped the first few chapters that I uploaded and rewritten them so the first three or four chapters that you see will still hold some content from those previous chapters but from then on it's all new. I've been dying to do this for so long so I'm really excited to be working on this story, and I hope you guys enjoy it. I'll be aiming to update every two weeks at the latest but obviously if my creative juices are running, it might be faster so fingers crossed! _

_In terms of universe and headcanon stuff, the boys are based mainly on their 2007 incarnations with probably some 2003 personality traits thrown in because I feel most comfortable in that particular universe. I've made them older in terms of age and they're slightly taller than they appear in that particular film, but obviously that's just my headcanon coming into play a little there. Nothing like how they appear in the 2014 film, you understand, but definitely averaging the same height as a tall human male. The backstory is pretty much the same as in the films except I've made it so April is still a reporter, mainly cos I just think that job suits her the best!  
_

_As always, apologies for any mistakes! I've rated this T for language and violence and romantic scenes in the future but if you think that needs to be changed at any point, please let me know because I've never been good at deciding a rating! _

_Disclaimer: All Turtles, turtle related things and anything else regarding popular culture, movies etc do not belong to me. Everything else is mine, yay!_

* * *

For Raphael, there weren't a lot of things that could compare to New York during the autumn months. It was definitely his favourite time of year and he observed it whenever he could, as much as he could. Donatello had tried to explain the science behind it all to him once, but Raphael had no care or interest for such things; he didn't need to know what chemicals and reactions caused the leaves in Central Park to change into a glorious variety of red and yellow, how such wonderful colours created golden shimmering patterns across the surfaces of the areas of water that existed amongst the concrete jungle. He didn't want to know why pretty girls decided to wear bright coats that came down to their knees or why people seemed to consume hot chocolate and cappuccinos by the gallon on their journey to and from work, nor did he really care why the sun always seemed to set in such a way that managed to set the entire city alight in a fiery orange blaze, highlighting the buildings and turning the Statue of Liberty into an angel with light flying from behind her crown. None of it really mattered to him for it did nothing to emphasize what he already knew; that this city, _his_ city, was nothing short of magical during this time of year. He knew he was being risky by being topside before it was dark but he couldn't help himself; the season was just so fleeting, much like the sunset as it slowly vanished on the horizon. From his position on the rooftop, he could see the oncoming sheet of night-time pulling in across the already darkening sky and he rose to a standing position, taking a deep breath of the comforting city air. He quickly shook out his limbs before hurtling across the rooftop, turning into a green blur as he streaked through the air, whirling over any obstruction and clearing the gaps between buildings with a natural grace that didn't break his speed.

It didn't take Raph long to reach his destination and he cast a habitual glance around at his surroundings before he dropped down silently onto the fire escape. The large window in front of him was open slightly at the bottom, a clear invitation to let himself in instead of knocking and waiting, something he still did after all this time. He slipped his fingers underneath and eased the window up and hopped inside, lowering it to a complete close on the other side. He turned and was met with a pair of rolling hazel eyes and a hand displaying five splayed fingers, indicating that the phone call that was currently taking place could take some time and that he should make himself at home in the meantime. Shrugging to himself, he made his way across the spacious lounge and into the kitchen. He immediately closed in on the fridge and opened it to inspect the contents.

''Look, Dad, we've been over this…No, I know, but I-Dad! I get it, you worry but…this is my life, you know? I'm twenty three years old, I think you contributing to the rent on my place is more than enough for you to be doing, okay?''

Raph withdrew from the fridge clutching a six pack of Budweiser before kicking the door shut and heading to the l-shaped couch that sat in the middle of the lounge space and sunk into the plush purple cushions in the left corner, promptly putting his feet up on the nearby glass table and opening the first bottle of beer with a quick flick of his thumb. He moved the open book resting beside him onto the table, careful to make sure that the page was marked before he did so, not wanting to risk the wrath of his friend should he lose the page. He looked around as he sipped his beer, taking in the open plan set up with its warm décor and cosy atmosphere as he sometimes did, rolling his eyes at the overflowing bookcase that sat next to the window he had just climbed through.

''What do you mean a more suitable career?'' Came the suddenly scornful voice from somewhere behind him. ''I'm a hairstylist, Dad, and a damn good one! I don't need to bloody work for you to make something out of myself!''

Raphael heard the lulling British tones buzzing on the other end of the phone, desperately trying to placate but he already knew that it was too late and that a hanging up was imminent.

''You know what? I really don't want to have this conversation with you at the moment because, as usual, you're clearly not listening to me. Call me when you actually have something encouraging to say to me.''

There was the sound of a frantic voice being cut off and a heavy sigh before a weight sank into the cushions beside him. Raphael quickly opened another bottle and held it out to the brunette sitting beside him. She flashed him a thankful smile as she took it and proceeded to down half of it in one go, ignoring his wide eyed stare as she did so.

''Damn, Rori, go easy on that, yeah?''

Aurora Jones, known as Rori, lowered the bottle and smacked her lips together with distaste. ''I've never really liked beer, I just buy them for you really.''

Raph smirked. ''Ah, shucks, ya shouldn't have.'' He took a hearty gulp from his own bottle. ''I still can't believe that after livin' here for thirteen years, ya still sound all British whenever you get angry.''

Rori smiled weakly at him but didn't reply.

''So, what's the problem this time?''

Rori sighed and rubbed a hand across her eyes, smudging her mascara slightly. ''The same old thing. He thinks he knows what's best, he wants me to get a job 'more suited to my abilities','' She flexed her fingers in the air quote motion, ''he wants me to move back home, the usual thing.''

Raph snorted and Rori smiled wryly in response. ''Ya think he'd be happy that his only child don't wanna live off his wealth an' is currently doin' well with a respectable career.''

''Yeah, well I guess he doesn't see it that way.'' Rori took another sip from her bottle. ''As if he could really expect me to want to work for him.''

''You think that's what he meant?''

''What else? Since Mum died he's had this obsessive need to have control over my life and that would just be the perfect vantage point, wouldn't it?''

Raph peered at her thoughtfully. ''Christ, Rori, he's your dad, not some mastermind villain. He's just…still strugglin', I guess. Your mom was a good lady.''

Rori traced the rim of her beer bottle. ''She was…and the way she died, I-'' She took a deep breath through her nose and held it for a moment. ''He's so different to the man who raised me, Raph, I feel like I can't really trust him anymore. He won't mention his work whenever I do see him but it's all over the news, the suspicions around the company, those dodgy deals that are being investigated…'' Rori quirked a slender eyebrow at him. ''Your friend April has been covering the stories quite a lot recently.''

Raph blinked before the memory of April excitedly recounting her latest scoop to he and his brothers during her most recent visit crossed his mind. She had been assigned to interview Max Jones, Rori's father, multimillionaire businessman and owner of MJ Enterprises, an experimental company specialising in the development of innovative technology ranging from the simple to the downright outrageous. The latest creation to come out from the company was a work in progress, a machine that could potentially reverse the effects of dying tissue and organs, effectively delaying the actual process of death in a person. Although considered ground-breaking and awe inspiring in terms of the possibilities such a machine could give, the creation was riddled with controversy due to the rumoured involvement of ChemLab, a scientific company surrounded by rumours of experimentation on animals and, more chillingly, willing humans. The suspected union between the two companies, which still hadn't been confirmed or denied by either party, had created a media frenzy around the ethics and moral obligations of such research and testing, resulting in April being thrust right into the limelight as she probed and investigated as much as she was able to. Raphael hadn't given it much thought until now and he mentally kicked himself for it.

Rori smirked at him. ''I take it from that dopey look on your face that she's mentioned it to you.''

Raph glowered at her before he rubbed the back of his head somewhat sheepishly. ''Yeah, she might've said somethin' recently…I guess I just didn't think much of it, your Dad is always in the news.''

''Yeah but never like this, never for such…unsavoury reasons.'' Rori drained the remaining beer from her bottle. ''I mean, creating technology that can supposedly stop people from dying is one thing…it's unbelievable and when you link it to a company that apparently tests things on humans…'' She shivered involuntarily against him. ''Raph, we've been friends since we were ten years old, you've heard enough stories from me and seen enough with your own eyes to know how my family is…or was…'' She blinked worried eyes up at him. ''Should I be concerned?''

Raph stared at the nearby inactive widescreen television in thought for a moment. Rori was right in the fact that her dad, while always a protective man, had become a lot more intense over the last three years, even more so over the last few months. Raph had figured that it was some sort of delayed grief but that wouldn't really explain the strange circumstances in Max's business dealings and if April was intent on digging up some dirt on the latest developments, chances are there was actually something worthy of digging up which couldn't lead to anything good.

''Raph?''

He started slightly from his thoughts and turned his amber eyes to study her. Dressed casually in a pair of tartan pyjama pants and a loose thin jumper with her hair tousled and wavy, she looked so small and fragile. Having spent the last thirteen years calling her his best friend, Raph knew that she was strong and sparky, creative and kind by nature, not to mention bold and outspoken, but even a strong person had their weaknesses and when it came to her parents, Rori was as vulnerable as anybody else. It wouldn't do to scare her, nor would it be safe for him to try and lie to her. Raph sighed and rested what he hoped was a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

''I don't know…yeah, maybe. I would be if it was Splinter but there ain't a lot ya can really do at the moment…'' He shrugged helplessly. ''Best just to see what happens an' try not to worry.'' He offered a sheepish smile. ''Maybe don't watch the news for a while.''

Rori snorted, finally showing him a real grin. ''With pleasure!'' She tucked her bare feet up underneath herself to get comfy. ''So, do I have you for the full evening or are you being stolen from me at some point?''

Raph leaned back into the cushions with a smug expression. ''Ya know, it's just so hard bein' loved by so many pe-Oof!''

He rubbed the spot on his plastron where Rori had smacked him and chuckled. ''I'm free all night. My bros are at home, April and Casey are havin' dinner somewhere so unless you're plannin' on turfin' me out, I'll be here for a while.''

Rori smiled widely. ''Good,'' she breathed in a relieved tone. ''Fancy some dinner?''

Raph nodded eagerly. ''Whatcha makin'?''

Rori shook her head. ''Nothing, I'm exhausted. I was just going to order takeout.''

''Good call. Wanna watch a movie with it?''

'''Sure. You can pick.''

Raph eyed the mountain of dvds that set on either side of the television. ''Are there any that we ain't actually watched in this insane collection of yours?''

''Don't be silly, of course there isn't.'' Rori said as she shuffled to the other end of the sofa and leant over the arm to retrieve her phone and a stack of takeout menus from the side table. Her top rode up slightly to reveal an expanse of lightly toned stomach, a result of her weekly dance classes that she had been attending since she was small, and Raph felt his heart suddenly lurch inside his chest. He frowned as he found himself suddenly short of breath, whether it was from the reveal of his best friend's stomach that he had seen a million times before or his reaction to said stomach, he wasn't sure, but either way it was extremely disturbing. He watched as the area of skin that had ensnared his attention so completely vanished back under Rori's top as she returned to a sitting position, phone poised at the ready.

''-and I'm really not feeling Indian so I was thinking maybe Italian? I know you eat pizza a lot but we could get something different like pasta, we could get a couple of dishes, maybe some calamari and prawns and-Raph, are you even listening to me?''

''Huh?'' Raph blinked stupidly at her, completely unaware she had been talking to him this entire time. ''What d'ya say?''

''I asked if you wanted Italian for dinner…'' She said slowly, watching him carefully. ''Hey, are you okay?''

''I-I'm good, just tired, I guess.''

''Okayyyy…'' Rori said, her voice laced with scepticism but, thankfully, she didn't push the issue. Instead, she held up one of the menus. ''So, Italian?''

''Yeah, sounds good.'' Raph mumbled, quickly reaching for another beer and almost wrenching the neck of the bottle off in his haste to gulp down the liquid.

'_Get it together, moron.' _He scolded himself, pointedly keeping his gaze away from Rori as she placed their order. _'Clearly you ain't been watchin' enough porn lately. Yeah, that's it, why else would you suddenly perve on your best friend? Watch some videos when you get home an' you'll be fine.'_

Satisfied that he had found the source of his moment of madness, he snatched up the remote, switched on the tv and began to flip through the channels in search of something to watch.

* * *

''No! Don't go in there…no, don't look out the-he's gonna be right there! Go out the back, go out-AHH!''

Popcorn flew into the air as Michelangelo jumped in his seat, arms and legs flailing wildly as the screams rang out from the television.

''I told you not to!'' Mikey reprimanded, automatically resuming his munching of the popcorn that now covered the couch. Donatello, who was sitting on one of the nearby recliners reading a book, briefly flickered his eyes over to Mikey before rolling them as the youngest turtle let out another squawk of fright.

''Mikey, you've seen this movie tons of times before, how can you still be scared by it?''

''I only watch it once a year so the scares are still fresh!'' Mikey replied, not moving his eyes away from the screen. ''It's part of my list of movies I need to watch in the run up to Halloween.''

''Don't you and Raph usually do that together?''

Mikey nodded. ''Yeah but he was never a fan of slasher films. I guess it's cos he thinks that in real life he could take these guys on with no problem.''

Donnie laughed. ''That's probably true…although didn't he have nightmares after watching that one with the guy who wore other people's faces?''

''You mean _The Texas Chainsaw Massacre_, yeah, that one doesn't count because it's loosely based on real life events, completely different ballpark to a made up story about some guy in a William Shatner mask.''

Donatello smiled in amusement as his baby brother's unlimited knowledge on all things movie and game based; if the world was to end and the only way to save them all would be to spout off a million facts about films and video games, Mikey would be the saviour of the world. Chuckling to himself, Donatello returned his attention to his book, only to jump upright as Mikey let out another startled yell.

''Mikey, would you knock it off?!'' He said exasperatedly.

''I can't help it, bro!''

''What are you two screaming about in here?'' Leonardo asked as he emerged from the nearby training room, rubbing a towel over his face before draping it over his shoulder.

''He's the one screaming, not me.'' Donnie said defensively, pointedly turning the page of his book with a loud flick before returning his gaze to it.

Leo glanced at the television screen and raised an eye ridge.

''Is it that time of year again already?''

''You know it, bro!'' Mikey chirped happily, crunching more popcorn.

Leo looked around the lair and noticed the absence of a brother. ''No Raph? I thought you two did this movie marathon thing together each year?''

Mikey waved his hand. ''I'm watching all the ones that he doesn't like early on so we can watch the good ones together. Besides, he's out for the night.''

''With Casey?''

Mikey shrugged. ''I don't think so, Casey and April had plans tonight.''

Seeing the frown that crossed Leo's features, Mikey offered a casual shrug. ''He's probably out running or something, you know how much he likes this time of year.''

Donatello snorted from behind his book. ''For someone who's so…rough, I find it hilarious that he likes to go out and stare at the pretty leaves during the sunset.''

Leonardo couldn't help but smile. ''I think he'd argue that he's showing just how manly he is because he can go out and appreciate that sort of thing.''

''Whatever, we all know he's pretty sappy inside,'' Mikey stated around a mouthful of popcorn. ''Stop mothering him, Leo. He's big enough and ugly enough to look after himself.''

Leo didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed the remote from the arm of the couch and pressed a button, removing the movie from the screen and replacing it with a local news report. Mikey let out a scream of outrage and immediately lunged for the remote only to find Leo's palm in his face, effectively restraining him. Mikey swung his arms wildly in a vain attempt to reach the remote, failing spectacularly as Leo held it completely out of reach before lowering his hand to Mikey's upper plastron and giving him a gentle push, knocking him down into the couch cushions.

''Leeoooo!'' The youngest turtle whinged at his smirking older brother. ''Give it back!''

''Let me watch the news and I promise you can spend the rest of the night watching your ridiculous horror movies.''

''Oh, great!'' Donnie exclaimed. ''Now I get to spend the evening listening to him scream until the early hours.''

''Hey, I don't scream! I just have a healthy way of expressing my emotions.''

''Yeah, by screaming.''

''I told you, I don't sc-''

''Shhh!'' Leo snapped, waving a hand slightly as the current report ended and the newsroom came back onto the screen. A blonde news reporter shuffled a collection of papers in front of her and lifted her gaze to the camera.

''_In other news, Max Jones, owner and CEO of MJ Enterprises, has come under scrutiny for his now confirmed involvement and collaboration with ChemLab, a company that has been surrounded with suspicion for its supposed immoral and illegal experimentation methods. It is believed that Jones has joined forces with the company in order to speed up the progression of the latest piece of technology to come out of MJ Enterprises, a machine that will apparently be able to delay the process of decaying tissue and failing organs. Experts have said that if this new technology can live up to these claims, it will be a breakthrough in the world of medical science. However, due to the involvement of such a controversial company, doubt has now begun to form over whether such a machine should be produced if it is created in such an environment. To give us more information on this story, we go now to Jenny Smith, who is currently outside the MJ Enterprises building. Jenny, what can you tell us?''_

As the camera switched to another woman standing in the streets of New York in front of a colossal building, Leonardo turned his attention to Donatello, who was regarding the screen with a pensive expression.

''What do you think?''

Donatello didn't look away from the screen but shook his head in bewilderment. ''Max Jones is, to put it bluntly, a genius. Not only is he extremely clever, he has some of the most intelligent scientists in the world working for him, so I don't understand why he would need to get another company involved in his work, let alone a company known for its loose ethics.''

''What do you mean?'' Mikey asked, eyes wide with interest.

Donatello grimaced. ''Supposedly they experiment on animals and…willing humans, or at least that's what people believe.''

Mikey gaped at him. ''Have they actually seen anything or anyone that they've experimented on?''

''That's the thing, it's such a murky subject. Whatever has come out of there or whatever has happened in there has been covered up well enough to hide the results, but not enough to ward off any suspicion.'' Donatello scratched the side of his bandana. ''I've followed Max Jones' work for years, I really don't understand why he would need to do this.''

They turned their attention back to the television as Jenny Smith's summary report of the already known facts was suddenly cut short, bringing back the blonde reporter in the newsroom. Her voice was laced with excitement as she held a hand up to her earpiece. _''Apologies there, Jenny, but we're receiving new information regarding this story. April O'Neil, who has been following this story for the past few weeks, is currently outside the ChemLab building where she is joined by the CEO, Mr Gene Vincent. April, are you there?''_

''How the hell did-I thought April was out with Casey tonight?'' Mikey said as the picture of April, which had been a small square in the upper corner during her introduction, grew larger and filled the screen with her familiar face.

''You know she's been following this story for a while, I guess she had someone ready to tip her off with any developments.'' Leonardo replied as April quickly brushed her hair from her face as the light evening breeze blew around her and turned to the man standing beside her. ''I'm here with Mr Gene Vincent, CEO of ChemLab. Mr Vincent, what can you tell us about this collaboration between the two companies?''

''Dude, he's creepy looking.'' Mikey murmured as the camera zoomed in on the man beside April. He was tall and thin, his face formed of sharp angles and piercing blue eyes. His hair was a slick dark affair, combed back neatly from his forehead. As April introduced him, his pursed lips pulled back to reveal a smile not dissimilar to one the Boogeyman might give to a child before he snatched them away forever.

''_Well, Miss O'Neil, I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss is about. Two companies, both known for their work in technology and science, coming together to create something truly spectacular, that should be something to celebrate and not condemn, surely?''_

''_In most circumstances I would agree with you, but how do you expect people to take such a view on these recent developments when your company has so many accusations against it?''_

Mikey chuckled. ''That girl has no fear.''

Vincent's grin twisted into a distasteful grimace as though he had sucked on a lemon.

''_Such allegations are completely unfounded and are merely rumours that have gained momentum from those who simply have nothing better to do with their sad little lives but listen to such stories. We have been investigated over these accusations and I can assure you, as would any report that I'm sure you've come across in your own little exploration of my company, Miss O'Neil, that every single one of those rumours is completely false.''_

The three brothers gaped as the statement oozed like oil from Vincent's mouth in his sharp, scratching voice. April, to her credit, only looked shocked and, quite possibly, disturbed for a moment before she fixed him with a fake saccharine smile.

''_Oh, I've done plenty of exploring, Mr Vincent. Luckily I get paid for it so if my life is sad and little as you say, at least I'm getting paid well for it.''_

Mikey crowed with laughter. ''Ohhh, buuuurrrrnnn!''

Donatello couldn't resist grinning, but Leonardo remained silent and solemn, eyes narrowed onto the screen.

''_You say that all reports portray your innocence in terms of the accusations against you and your company and while this may be true, the reports do not go into any detail about those who have volunteered for your company in the past, particularly over the last two years. There are at least twenty names of students who signed up for volunteer work and there is no trace of them to be found after them having done so. Now, given the nature of the accusations against you, do you have any explanation for this?''_

''_What are you suggesting, Miss O'Neil? That we asked for volunteers, subjected them to various tests and procedures to further our research and then made sure that they simply vanished from the face of the earth to hide the evidence?''_

The smile that morphed April's lips was one of satisfaction.

''_Your words, not mine, Mr Vincent.''_

Clearly flustered and infuriated, Vincent's nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, pasting another sinister smile onto his face.

''_Rest assured, Miss O'Neil, that any anomalies that you come across, such as those you have mentioned, are merely coincidences. New York is one the biggest cities in the world, people aren't always easy to find and, callous as it may sound, we simply have no need to keep track of those who have worked for us after they have branched out into the world. What Mr Jones and I are striving to achieve is something to marvel at, it will be something truly spectacular.''_

The grin that he turned to the camera was nothing short of terrifying.

''_Hopefully, we won't have to keep you all waiting very long. Until then, I have nothing more to say. Thank you, Miss O'Neil, it's been…enlightening to speak with you.''_

April's face contorted into a frown as he sloped back into the building. However, she recovered quickly and swiftly concluded her report and the cameras returned to the newsroom to finish up. Donatello turned his attention to Leonardo who was still staring at the television with a faraway gaze, indicating that he was deep in thought.

''What is it?''

''I think that April needs to step back from this story, stop digging around for information.''

Mikey and Donnie shared an incredulous look.

''Are you kidding? Why? She's doing such a good job, she'll flush out anything incriminating faster than any other reporter.''

''Exactly and that's why she needs to stop, otherwise I'm afraid she'll find herself the recipient of some unwanted attention.''

Donnie glanced from Leo to the television and back again. ''You think that Vincent guy will try something?''

''You saw the way he was looking at her, and if those volunteer students that she mentioned are anything to go by, I don't want to take any chances in finding out what could happen if she doesn't stop.''

Mikey shook his head. ''You can be the one to tell her, bro, because I definitely don't wanna be the one who gets her in a bad mood.''

Leo turned and headed into the kitchen. ''When she knows it's for her own good, she'll understand.''

''Okay…'' Donnie said, tucking his thumb between the pages of his book to keep his place as he got up to follow his brother. ''Then what?''

Leonardo opened the fridge door to retrieve a bottle of water. ''Then…nothing. We keep our eyes and ears open for any new developments. In the meantime, Donnie, I want you to find out all the information you can about both companies, about Gale Vincent and anything you don't already know about Max Jones.''

Donnie nodded. ''Consider it done.''

''You think something's gonna go down?'' Mikey asked, hanging his upper body over the back of the couch to look at them.

Leonardo took a gulp of water and licked the residue away from his lips. ''I don't know, I just…think we need to be vigilant, that's all.''

The sound of a nearby door opening all drew their attention to Splinter as he emerged from his room, calm and serene from meditating. He offered them all a gentle smile before stopping short, surveying the expressions on their faces.

''My sons, what is troubling you?''

Mikey sighed and shuffled around on the couch to gain a comfortable position. ''Leo can fill you in, Sensei. I'm gonna go back to watching movies, at least in those the crazy guys aren't real!''

* * *

''Ugh, I'm so full it's actually starting to hurt.''

Raphael stole a glance at his friend and chuckled at her sprawled position beside him. ''Y'know, I'm pretty sure you're meant to be a fat person.''

Rori groaned. ''I think those last five pieces of calamari finished me off.'' She held out a hand towards him. ''If I die, remember me fondly.''

''Shuddup,'' Raph retorted, swatting her hand away playfully.

The sound of the Indiana Jones theme tune broke through the air and Rori groaned, groping around blindly for her phone. Rolling his eyes, Raphael plucked it from between the cushions and handed it to her. Rori peered at the screen before swiping a thumb across it to accept the call.

''Heyyy, what's up?''

There was the crackling of another voice for a few seconds before Rori bolted upright, making Raph jump away from her slightly in surprise.

''What the hell-?!'' He began, only to fall silent at the startled look on Rori's face.

''What, right this minute? Are you sure?''

She began to shuffle the mostly empty food containers around on the table, barely seeming to notice as one toppled onto the floor. Seizing the object of her desire, the remote, she pressed the power button and waited for the television to turn on. An image of a newsroom quickly swam into focus where a blonde news reporter was providing a summary of the evening news.

''I'm watching it now…So, he hasn't actually been on? Well, bloody hell, Dex! I was expecting to find my dad getting ripped to shreds by some reporter, not some spiel about a guy named Vincent or whatever.''

Raphael watched her face as she listened to the voice on the other end of the phone, surmising that the story being told to her was the same as the one the reporter was currently telling. After a moment, her face screwed up in distaste and she rubbed the skin between her eyes.

''Well, I didn't know anything about that…I don't know, Dex, he's just…not the same anymore.'' She sighed heavily. ''Tomorrow? Erm, yeah sure, I'll come after work…usual place? Alright…okay…alright. Bye, buddy.''

She hung up the phone and dropped it carelessly onto the couch before flopping back into the cushions, hands over her face. Raph shifted awkwardly in his spot for a moment before clearing his throat.

''So…I guess that rumour 'bout your dad an' his company is true, huh?''

''Yeah, guess so,'' Came Rori's muffled reply before she removed her hands and glared at the ceiling. ''I can't believe him, why would he get involved with those people?''

''Ya got me…Maybe it really is delayed grief an' it's affectin' his judgement or somethin'.''

Rori laughed humourlessly. ''That's very psychological of you, Raph.''

He shrugged. ''I don't know what else to tell ya.''

''I know…I just…Mum was sick, we knew she was on limited time but…I didn't think it would happen so quickly but in a way I'm glad it did because…'' She gritted her teeth slightly. ''Seeing her in pain like that was just unbearable…but if he wants to create a machine to prevent that sort of thing happening with people who clearly don't value life as they should, I'd rather he didn't bother at all.''

Raph looked at her for a moment before lifting up his right arm. ''C'mere, Ror.''

She quickly shuffled across the couch and all but fell into him, pressing comfortably into his side as he gave her a one armed hug.

''It'll blow over soon. He's just made a bad call, he'll figure out his mistake soon.''

''I'm not so sure…I've got a really bad feeling, Raph.''

He squeezed her gently. ''Don't. It'll be alright. An' even if it's not, I'll protect ya.''

She tilted her head up, her silver nose ring flashing in the light as she wrinkled her nose at him. ''Who says I need protecting?''

It was a standard manoeuvre for Rori to fall back behind the shield of playful banter and teasing in order to disguise the true unease and possible fear that she was feeling, a move that Raphael recognised straight away. In a way, he was grateful for it for he had no way of truly reassuring her without lying to her, nor did he have any way of really disguising his own misgivings about the situation. Although vastly different in many ways, they were similar in that they chose the same defensive stance in terms of hiding what they were really feeling, only Raph hid behind anger while Rori hid behind fake smiles. Having been friends for so long, he knew that eventually Rori would snap and her true anxieties would come racing to the surface but for now, he was happy to feign ignorance and offer her the comfort she was seeking. To that end, he lifted his unoccupied arm and flicked her on the nose.

''Me, that's who. Look at ya, little pipsqueak!''

''Pipsqueak?! I'll show you, you giant beanstalk!''

''Beanstalk?! What the fuck are you on?''

Rori shoved him in the plastron, pressing her palms flat against him in a vain attempt to move him.

''Because you're big, tall and green, you moron!''

They pushed and shoved playfully and threw out ridiculous comments until Rori conceded, collapsing against his side once more after he released her feet, having seized them to tickle them in order to gain the upper hand. As they sat close together, Raphael's stomach fluttered at an alarming rate, although whether it was due to his conflicted thoughts about Max Jones and his suspicious activities, or his best friend currently snuggled up into his side, he couldn't be sure. Closing his eyes and turning his head away to avoid breathing in her comforting and suddenly alluring scent, he willed it to be the former.

* * *

_So, that's the first chapter down. It will be slow building in some respects for the first few chapters as I want to flesh out character relationships, history and such but also link it in with some fast paced action pretty soon so hopefully I'll achieve that. Next chapter is already completed so I'll upload that soon. Please let me know what you think, I love hearing your thoughts. Til next time, guys! _


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello again, friends! So, thanks to all those who read the first chapter, please try and leave some reviews though! Thanks to SSJ2Luke for being the only person to leave a review, much appreciated! As always, I apologise for any typing, grammatical errors and such that you may see. So, please enjoy the second chapter!_

_Disclaimer: Anything TMNT does not belong to me._

* * *

''And I said to him, I said to him, if you think that I'm gonna be spoken to like that, honey, you got another thing coming!''

''And what did he say?''

''He didn't know what to say! That man knows he ain't gonna do no better than someone like me so he needs to get his shit together 'cos before he knows it, I'll find myself another man!''

''I'm sure he'll come to his senses.''

''Oh, he better! 'Cos, honey, let me tell you…''

Rori nodded and smiled in all the right places, a discipline instilled into her from the very first day she had begun training as a hairstylist. Aside from learning the essential skills and science behind the job, she had also gathered the essential knowledge of how to interact with every possible person that could walk through the salon doors.

As she put the finishing touches to the head of hair in front of her, the sound of the main doors opening and frantic voices diverted her attention from her current client and she turned her head to look over at the reception. A woman was standing at the desk, gesturing to her hair and talking quickly. Rori instantly recognised the red hair and yellow jacket and felt her stomach twist.

Perhaps not every possible person.

''Please, I'm so desperate, don't you have anyone available?''

Penny, the receptionist, glanced at the booking system on her computer before turning to survey the bustling salon, her eyes searching for a moment before locking onto Rori.

''Rori is one of our best stylists, I'm sure she'll be able to help you.''

Rori dazedly bid her pleased client goodbye as Penny led a woman over to her.

''Rori, this is-''

''April O'Neil,'' she blurted before smiling awkwardly. ''I recognise you from the news.''

The redhead grinned somewhat modestly. ''Well, it's always nice to meet someone who watches my reports.''

Rori thanked Penny before motioning April to the nearby chair. Unfolding a cape and preparing her tools on her faithful trolley that sat beside them, she swallowed heavily and pasted a hopefully normal smile onto her face.

''So, what can I do for you, Miss O'Neil?''

''Oh, please call me April, I'm so fed up of hearing my last name, it's begun to lose all meaning.''

Rori laughed as she draped the cape over April, her unease fading slightly. From all the stories that Raphael had told her, she knew that April was someone that she could easily get along with, but having a unique connection to the woman and not even being able to mention it made her feel uncomfortable, as though she was tempting fate by even being in the same room as her, that maybe April would be able to tell just by looking at her. Still, it was quite incredible that this eventual scenario had been avoided until now. She took a glance at the woman sitting in front of her and April offered her a sheepish smile in the mirror as she fiddled with her hair.

''I'm wondering if you can help me with this.''

Rori let out a shocked gasp as she noticed the large wad of melted, sticky gum that clogged the back of April's hair, meshing clumps of it together in an ugly manner. There was signs of damage where April, or perhaps someone trying to help, had attempted to remove it and Rori could only wince in sympathy.

''How did this happen?''

''Boyfriend left a piece of gum rolled up in a wrapper on the side of the couch and forgot to throw it in the trash, which apparently is a completely acceptable and normal thing to do.'' April explained with a heavy roll of her eyes. ''I didn't notice and fell asleep there last night, woke up this morning when he came in from busting hea-I mean, working late and discovered this mess when I went for a shower.''

Rori fought a smile as she imagined the scenario. She knew much about Casey Jones from the tales that Raphael had regaled her with since he had befriended the mask-wearing vigilante, and it was all she could do not to laugh at the thought of the man cowering from his girlfriend's wrath. She plucked carefully at the sticky hunks of hair. ''And did your boyfriend try and pull it out of your hair for you?''

April grimaced. ''No, that was all me. I figured if I put enough conditioner in my hair it would slide out…'' She gestured in exasperation. ''Obviously it didn't work.''

Rori let out a breath. ''Well, I hope your boyfriend knows that he's got some serious making up to do.''

''Oh, believe me, he knows.'' April said, her face twisting into a devious smirk. ''So, can you help me?''

Rori nodded. ''Don't worry, we'll have you fixed in no time. Luckily it's mainly on the lower part of your hair. I'll have to take quite a few inches off to completely get rid of it but it shouldn't look too drastically different.''

April waved her hand. ''That's fine, I've been needing to get it properly cut for ages anyway. My usual stylist always persuades me to never do anything new to it because she thinks the viewers won't like.''

''I think you need to get a different stylist.''

April laughed. ''You may be right.''

Rori smiled and selected a pair of scissors from her trolley. ''Good thing you don't have really short hair or it could be a whole different story.''

April laughed in agreement, obediently tilting her head forward as Rori began to cut out the gum out of her hair. ''I love your accent by the way,'' she said after a moment. ''Are you from England?''

Rori nodded. ''I've lived here since I was ten years old and I've just never really dropped the accent, not sure why.''

''Don't worry, there's enough New Yorker in there for it to count.''

As Rori continued to snip, chop and cut away at April's hair, adding in layers and neatening the ends, the two women chatted away companionably, laughing together with ease and Rori felt her fears lessen and lessen at the warmness of April's nature.

Then, ''God, I'm so relieved that you were able to help me out today. I can't imagine what I would have done if I had to chase down Max Jones for an interview with gum in my hair.''

Rori managed to stop herself from accidentally cutting into the wrong section of hair and purposefully kept her gaze down.

''M-Max Jones?''

''You know, the owner of MJ Enterprises.''

''Yeah, I know who you mean.'' Rori said softly. ''He's, uh, been in the news recently, hasn't he?''

''Uh huh, and now that it's been confirmed that his company is definitely working with ChemLab, I'm desperate to get hold of him for an interview.''

''He's always on the news from what I've seen,'' Rori said carefully, running her fingers through April's hair to check the length was even. ''Shouldn't be too hard to get hold of him, right?''

''You would think, but he's being purposefully elusive regarding this story, which is just fuelling public interest and speculation against him and the companies.'' April frowned thoughtfully into the mirror. ''I was hoping to be able to find a way of contacting his daughter but it's proving difficult to trace her.''

Rori felt her palms begin to sweat. ''What would she be able to tell you that you don't already know?''

April shrugged. ''I'm always trying to get every detail on my stories so that my reports are honest and factual, I just figured maybe she'd have an explanation or theory behind her father's actions that would make the whole thing seem less…sinister.''

Rori felt it was safer not to comment on that. Instead, she grabbed the nearby bottle of hairspray and liberally sprayed it over April's hair, fluffing the layers as she did so.

''There, all done.''

She held up a mirror behind April's hair to show her the back. The red head grinned in delight, touching her hair gently. ''Wow, it looks great, I love it!'' She twisted her head to look at it from both sides. ''This is so much better than the way my usual stylist does it.'' She turned to give Rori a beaming smile. ''Guess you can add me to your list of regular customers from now on.''

Rori forced what she hoped was a sincere smile onto her face. ''Great.''

* * *

''I'm tellin' ya, man, she's gonna make me pay for this so bad.''

Raph's reply was muffled from somewhere nearby. Casey pulled his head out from underneath the hood of the truck that he was tinkering and cocked his head to the left.

''Whatcha say?''

There was the sound of wheels rolling on concrete and Raphael's body slid out from underneath the truck upon the skateboard he was resting on. His bandana was loosely hanging around his neck and his upper body was decorated with several splatters of oil. ''I said why the hell did ya leave the gum on the couch to begin with?''

Casey threw his grease covered hands into the air, his dark bangs flopping into his eyes. ''It wasn't on purpose! I put it there for what was supposed to be a second and then I just forgot.''

Raph stared at him. ''Why didn't you just put it on the table or somethin'?''

''If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn't be on the bad side of one of April's moods. That death glare of hers could turn a man to stone!''

Raph snorted. ''Let's just hope she decides not to kill ya until after we've finished this job. I ain't doin' this all by myself.'' he muttered, rolling back underneath the truck.

Casey knelt down to the toolbox by his feet and began rooting through it. ''She's so busy workin' on that story to do with that Max Jones dude an' that machine that stops death or whatever, so I'm hopin' she'll get the interview that she wants, which will make her real happy, an' when I treat her to dinner, she'll remember what a swell boyfriend I really am.''

The sound of scraping and metal grinding against metal beneath the truck fell silent for a moment before reassuming with more vigour than before. Casey gave a triumphant little huff of laughter upon retrieving the tool he had been looking for and stood back up, scratching the back of his head with it in thought.

''A machine that can stop death…how the hell does someone think that up?''

''Hell if I know.''

''Guy must be an absolute fuckin' genius.'' Casey said, diving back into the engine. A moment later, his laughter reverberated around the room. ''Imagine what he and Donnie could do together…blows my mind just thinkin' 'bout it!''

Resting on the skateboard, Raphael all but glared up at the underbelly of the truck as he listened to Casey ramble away. For the last four years, they had been partners at a garage that they had purchased together. It was named 'C.A.R.S', which stood for 'Casey and Raphael's Stuff' to anybody who cared to ask, and they spent their days inside their shop fixing, tweaking and rebuilding all manner of cars, trucks and, Raph's personal favourite, motorbikes. It was a sweet arrangement; Casey handled all face to face business and customer enquires while Raph assisted him on each job that came in, and there was a lot of jobs as their expertise and love for the craft had earned them a decent reputation within the city. In that time, working with one of his best friends had provided him with an outlet for his anger, a decent wage, time to do something that he actually enjoyed and a chance to laugh and chat with his buddy.

''You think it could actually work? 'Cos I know those guys who work for ChemLab have done some pretty freaky stuff, or at least that's what I've heard.''

Today, however, the inane chatter of his friend was making him want to pound his head against the ground until he lost consciousness, just to avoid having any conversation that was remotely linked to Rori. As far as his family, April and Casey included, were concerned, Rori didn't exist. Since he had befriended her at the age of ten, he had kept her a complete secret, a completely separate thing to the rest of his life. It hadn't always been his intention for it to be like that; upon his family meeting April and Casey and sharing all the adventures that they had together, he had seriously considered finally revealing his secret to the rest of them. However, seeing all the danger that had befallen their human friends due to their involvement with a mutant family of turtles and a giant rat, he just couldn't bring himself to do it, to risk exposing Rori to all that had happened to April and Casey, to tell his brothers that he had effectively been lying to them for so long.

Now, with April working on a story that involved Rori's dad, it was beginning to worry him greatly that somehow Rori would become dragged into it which would inevitably lead to the discovery of their relationship, which would then lead to some very awkward and dramatic situations, which would then-

Overwhelmed by his thoughts, Raph palmed his face in frustration, only to growl in anger as he felt the sticky smear of oil upon his skin. Throwing the wrench he held to the side, he shoved himself from under the truck and stood up, cracking his neck and shoulders loud enough to make Casey wince.

''You carryin' some extra tension there, bud?''

''S'nothin','' Raph replied gruffly, heading to the small fridge they kept nearby to retrieve a bottle of water. As he gulped down the liquid, he casually surveyed the surrounding area. The layout of the place was simplistic and suited the two friends well; it was primarily made up of a gigantic garage that could house several vehicles alongside various machinery and a plethora of tools and equipment, while the front of the place was made up of a plain and simple office to deal with customers. Although Raphael never had any need to venture out to the front of the shop, Casey had made sure to install an obscenely large bell above the front door to act as a warning, just in case. The back of the garage opened up onto an alley that clients could bring their cars into, and just by it, hidden well enough in the shadows, was a manhole cover to provide a route for a quick vanishing act. So far, it had never been used and Raphael hoped to keep it that way.

''You sure you're alright, man?''

Raph crunched the plastic bottle in his hand and tossed it into the trash.

''Let's just get this damn thin' finished.''

* * *

In a bistro close to Central Park, Rori let out a muffled yelp as she was promptly seized into a crippling bear hug upon entering the establishment.

''Where have you been all my life, you beautiful girl!''

Rori flailed her arms wildly through the air.

''Air…need…a-air…!''

She was quickly released and held steady as she took a few deep breaths, fixing the culprit with a deathly glare, only to receive a beaming grin in response.

''Ollie, you are such a pain.''

''You love me anyway. Now, come and sit down so we can order some food.'' The bouncy blonde steered her towards a nearby booth by the front window where their friend Dexter sat waiting, peering enquiringly at her from underneath his dark unruly bangs. ''Hopefully we'll get some service soon!'' Ollie said loudly, whipping his coat off dramatically as they sat down.

''Hold your horses, smartass, I'm coming!'' Rosie, the fourth member of their little group, appeared beside their booth, clad in her usual working attire of smart black trousers and a white blouse. Her dark blonde hair was scrapped back into a messy ponytail and she glared tiredly at them all.

''Why the hell couldn't you have picked a different night to come here? I've been working all day and there's two parties of kids coming in at seven.''

Rori held up her hands in defence. ''Hey, don't blame me, I just got told where and when.''

''Besides, we can keep you company while you work!'' Dexter offered, grinning brightly at their exhausted friend who only stared coldly back at him before whipping out a pad of paper and a pencil.

''So, let me guess…two vodka and cranberries and a Corona, a bucket of mussels and a large side of skinny fries, right?''

Dexter opened his mouth, no doubt to make a change to the order, but a swift kick under the table from Rori stopped him in his tracks, making him grimace in pain as she smiled at Rosie to confirm that she was right. The blonde girl quickly scribbled down their order before resting the hand holding the pencil upon Rori's shoulder.

''I caught all that stuff to do with your dad on the news,'' she said gently. ''How are you holding up?''

Rori shrugged, suddenly feeling uncomfortable as her three friends looked at her.

''I'm just trying not to think about it really. I don't really know much more than what's being reported in the news.''

''If you ask me, it's all just a marketing stunt.''

Rosie looked incredulously at Ollie for a moment, then reached over and smacked him over the head with her writing pad before stalking off towards the kitchen to put their order in. Ollie rubbed the top of his spiky head in offence.

''What, so I'm not entitled to my opinion now?''

Dexter rolled his eyes. ''Not if your opinion is completely stupid. Of course it's not a marketing stunt, what the hell would two high profile companies need a marketing stunt for? Especially one that makes them both look like villains no matter which way you spin the coin.''

''ChemLab are villainous though,'' Rori said quietly, finally shuffling out of her long black coat and draping it behind her.

''I know that but let's face it, Britannia,'' Dexter said, trying to soften his words with the use of his nickname for her, ''your dad and his company aren't coming out looking too hot in this whole thing either.''

Rori palmed her face. ''God, this is just great. I bet the whole sodding city is talking about it.''

Ollie wrapped a comforting arm around her, much in the same way Raphael had done the night before, and squeezed her tightly. She nestled her head against his shoulder and sighed wearily, completely fed up with the entire situation. A waitress they vaguely knew came over with their drinks and three small bowls and set them all onto the table before scurrying off again. Rori reached out and took a hearty gulp of her drink, savouring the crisp taste of cranberry and the comforting warmth of vodka sliding down her throat.

Ollie rubbed her back. ''If it makes you feel any better, hardly anybody that came into the store today spoke about it.''

Rori snorted. ''That's hardly surprising. You guys own a store specialising in the sale of comics, books and all manner of things considered awesome and collectable, I highly doubt your cliental would want to discuss the news when the latest copy of their favourite series has just been released.''

Dexter grinned. ''You may have a point there. Which reminds me…''

He quickly dove into his nearby backpack and rooted around inside it before producing a thick comic book wrapped protectively in plastic.

''The new edition of your latest obsession came in this morning, we haven't even put it out on the shelves yet.'' He smiled gently at her, brown eyes shining softly. ''We thought it might cheer you up.''

Rori quickly glanced down at the cover of the horror series she had recently started reading and felt her chest clench tightly with love for her friends. She swallowed thickly against the lump in her throat and forced out a laugh.

''You guys are such soft idiots.''

Ollie and Dexter grinned at each other before reaching for their own drinks, sipping happily in the wake of their small victory. Rori carefully put the comic book in her bag and sat up straighter, determined to forget about her father and enjoy an evening with her friends.

''So, the store's busy?''

''Oh, yeah. With Halloween coming up, people are coming in to buy all manner of things spooky and macabre.''

''We've had some lovely looking young men coming in lately to browse our new selection of costumes the last few days,'' Ollie said lecherously, prompting Dexter to drop his head onto his forearm with a grown.

''Seriously, he has been completely obscene. I keep telling you, it's inappropriate to flirt with customers!'' he snapped half-heartedly at his friend.

Rori could only giggle as Ollie shrugged in mock nonchalance, obviously in the mood to simply tease and annoy. ''It's not my fault if they're good looking! A man has to eat, you know.''

''Well, that's good to know seeing as you have to polish all of this off between you,'' Rosie quipped as she appeared from the kitchen bearing a large black pot in both hands while balancing a big plate of fries on her forearm. She promptly placed both onto the table and swept the lid from the pot, enveloping them all in the mouth-watering aroma of wine and garlic.

''Ah, beautiful bearer of food, you have my eternal gratitude.'' Ollie declared as he used a spoon to scoop some of the delicious food into his bowl. Rosie shook her head with a grin and slid into the booth with a groan, resting her head against the back cushion and closing her eyes.

''Did you manage to get Halloween night off?'' Rori asked, dipping a handful of fries into the sauce.

''Yeah, I just have to work fuck loads up until then so I have no idea how I'm gonna find the time to get a costume.''

Dexter waved a hand at her. ''No worries, doll. We are here to assist you with all your Halloween needs-what'll it be, vampire, witch, perhaps a werewolf?''

''I don't know, what are you all going as?''

''A pirate of some description,'' Ollie declared, stealing more mussels from the pot.

''I was going to go as some sort of gothic pixie,'' Rori said.

Rosie glanced at Dexter. ''What about you?''

''Why, I'll be attending the ball as Prince Charming himself!'' He stated in a posh accent. ''You could come along as my princess.''

Rosie shrugged. ''Okay.''

Dexter choked slightly on his beer. ''W-wh-really?''

''Yeah, sure, why not? It'll be fun.''

Dexter could do nothing but gape at the girl next to him who, oblivious to the impact she had had on her friend, reached over and pinched a few fries from the plate. Rori watched them, both amused and sorry for Dexter who had been in love with Rosie for so long it was a wonder that Rosie didn't actually know. It had been that way since the first day of middle school where they had all come together and formed their little group and she didn't expect it to change anytime soon. Her mind drifted to Raphael as she wondered for the millionth time what it would be like for him to be able to meet her friends, to be able to truly share in that part of her life by really being there, by really existing within it, not just on the outside. Ignoring the sudden twisting feeling in her stomach, she promptly helped herself to more fries.

* * *

''Hey, Raph, fancy a game of Mario Kart?''

Raphael stopped on his journey to the kitchen and turned to look at Mikey who was sprawled on the couch in front of the many screens and games consoles that made up their entertainment unit. The orange banded turtle waved a controller at him and grinned eagerly.

''C'mon, dude. Nobody else will play with me!''

Raph smirked and continued towards the fridge. ''That's 'cos you act like a moron whenever we play games with you.''

Mikey chucked in satisfaction and caught the can of soda that Raph threw to him. '' You're just all jealous that The Mikester is unbeatable!''

Raph elbowed him roughly in the side as he sat down beside his little brother, popping the tab on his own soda and taking a huge gulp. ''Oh, yeah? Just you wait, I'll leave you an' your pathetic little Yoshi cryin' in the dust!''

''You know, just 'cos you use Bowser doesn't mean you have to act like him!''

''Oh, would ya just quit whinin' an' play the game?!''

For a while the room was filled with nothing but furious swearing, the typical comical sound effects from the television speakers and several yelps of pain and annoyance as the two brothers battled it out both in the game and on the couch, both desperate to win. Leonardo, who had been meditating in his room upstairs, appeared at the railing and peered down at his brothers, eyebrows raised in slight amusement.

''Guys, calm down, it's just a game.''

''Never!'' Mikey yelled enthusiastically, closing one eye and veering to the left as he followed the characters on the screen, bumping into Raph as he did so, who shoved him roughly in return, causing the turtle to topple sideways.

''Knock it off, ya knucklehead!'' Still clutching the controller, Mikey stuck his tongue out at his brother before he began to bash the buttons furiously from his awkward position, craning to see the screen properly while Raphael slowly rose to his feet, a triumphant grin slowly forming on his face.

''Go on! Go on, ya little beauty! Go on, ya little son of a-HEY!''

With a piercingly loud yell, Mikey leapt into a standing position and began to wiggle his hips and pump his arms in victory as the winning music played loudly throughout the room. Leonardo shook his head but he couldn't help but grin at the incredulous look of shocked fury on Raphael's face as he stared at the screen in disbelief.

''I am victorious! I am the almighty king of Mario Kart!'' Mikey danced awfully close to Raphael's rage filled face and grabbed his brother's cheeks, pinching them slightly. ''You thought you had me beat, but little did you know I had left that banana skin there waiting for you during the previous lap and it got you, oh it got you good, Raphie boy!''

Mikey shook Raph's face before he danced away, kicking his feet out happily in front of him, completely oblivious to the fact that Raphael was now staring at him with a murderous look on his face. Sensing impending danger, Leo cleared his throat and called out to Mikey, who was still wiggling in his hips in a ridiculous manner, ''Mikey, if I were you, I would run.''

''What for, dude? Jealous of my amazing moves?''

''No, because I don't think you're going to have the ability to perform any moves if you don't-RAPH! BE GENTLE! It's only a game!''

Mikey, who had turned to look up at Leo, gave a loud yell of surprise as Raphael pounced on him with a loud snarl, tackling the young turtle over the back of the couch with a noisy bang. Leonardo's reprimanding shout went unheard over the sound of loud thumps and yells before Mikey screamed again, his voice filled with a mixture of laughter and pain as he begged for Raph to stop.

''Okay, OKAY! I'M SORRY! UNCLE, UNCLE!''

''CHEATER!''

''I was just playing the game!''

''BULLSHIT! YOU DID IT ON PURPOSE, YA DOUCHEBAG!''

There was another loud bang before Mikey suddenly appeared from behind the couch once again, his bandana twisted over his eyes and his left bicep bearing an already nasty looking bruise. Without pausing, he darted away towards the kitchen, laughing nervously and pleading with Raph as the other turtle gave chase, catching him behind the kitchen table and cutting off his escape.

''I WANNA REMATCH!''

''Sorry, dude, no rematches for twenty four hours.'' Mikey grinned at his enraged older brother as he straightened his eye mask. ''A champion gets to celebrate his title for one day at least.''

''Goddamn it!''

As Raphael lunged for his brother once again, Leonardo landed behind him and swiftly grabbed him by the arms.

''What is wrong with you two?!''

Mikey held up his hands, his face a picture of innocence. ''It's not my fault that Raph is such a sore loser.''

''I'll give you sore, ya little-''

''Cut it out, Raph.'' Leonardo said, seizing the hot headed turtle by his bandana tails as he made to grab Mikey again. ''It's only a game, he's just teasing you.''

''I know that! He just pisses me off with his smug victory dances an' all that other annoyin' shit that he does!''

Leo rolled his eyes and stepped back as the hot headed turtle threw him off, reaching up with a huff to adjust his mask. Mikey stepped back and held out a box of _Lucky Charms_ towards his big brother, a hopeful yet apprehensive smile on his face. Raph's eyes flicked from Mikey's face to the box and back again, then he smirked and grabbed the box, bumping his little brother to the side to retrieve some bowls and spoons from the cupboards.

Leonardo watched them fondly for a moment before a sound from behind drew his attention to Donatello, who was approaching the kitchen with a perturbed look upon his features.

''What's the matter?''

The crunching of cereal emanating from Raphael and Michelangelo fell silent as they looked up at Donnie who was scratching his head in thought.

''I think this whole fiasco with Max Jones and that Gale Vincent guy has the potential to become a bit more problematic than we thought.''

''Whaddya mean?'' Raph asked, pouring more milk into his bowl.

''Well, it seems that this collaboration between their two companies has secretly been in the works for almost three years. In fact, it seems like it happened not long after Max's wife passed away.''

Raph fought to keep his face impassive while Mikey gasped with sadness beside him. ''Oh, how did she die?''

''Some form of aggressive cancer, she found out she was sick and deteriorated quickly within a matter of months.''

Mikey scooped up some more cereal and chewed thoughtfully. ''So, his wife died, his company starts working on a machine that can slow down the process of dying, then it's revealed that this human experimenting company is involved…You think he's dealing with his grief so badly that he's trying to invent a machine to help people but is going about it the wrong way?''

Leo quirked his head in surprise at the youngest turtle before looking to Donnie who was smiling ever so slightly.

''Actually, that was my conclusion too.''

''So how has that particular ambition resulted in him wanting to work with such a controversial company?'' Leo asked.

Donnie shrugged. ''That's just it, I don't know. Obviously something has been in the works for the last few years-the idea that Max Jones has anything to do with the potential human testing that ChemLab is accused of is an idea I'm reluctant to entertain.''

''But it's a possibility?''

Donnie frowned at Leonardo for a moment before he nodded. ''At this point, anything is likely to be a possibility.''

''What does this all actually mean though? So these guys are inventing that machine, ignoring all the immoral stuff, what are we worrying about?'' Mikey queried.

''Firstly, the involvement of ChemLab has completely changed the thoughts on this machine as people won't want anything to do with it due to that fact. Secondly, if they are actually experimenting on people…'' Donnie shook his head in disgust.

Leo studied his brother. ''Do you think they really are?''

Donnie pulled out the nearest chair, fell into it and dropped his head into his hands. ''There isn't enough to concrete evidence to fully accuse them and, like I said, I don't want to believe that Max Jones would destroy his reputation and credibility by getting involved with them if their ethics were that screwed.'' He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. ''On the other hand, because they are involved, I don't believe that this machine is being created to match the description being fed to the world.''

Raph, who had remained purposefully silent through the conversation, couldn't help but respond to that. ''What, you think it's not able to do all that stuff?''

''Oh, I'm sure it can and I'm sure it would be, if it was still solely in the hands of Max Jones and his company, but if that Gale Vincent is involved…I don't know, the whole thing is just making my shell itch.''

''So what are we supposed to do?'' Mikey asked, turning his attention to Leo. ''You wanna stop April from covering the story so that's gonna limit what info we can find out, isn't it?''

''Maybe…unless we do some digging around ourselves.''

Donnie cast a surprised yet sceptical look over at Leo. ''What do you mean?''

''You know where the MJ Enterprise building is, don't you?''

Donnie blinked. ''Of course.''

''And the ChemLab building?''

''Yeah, it's just a few blocks over.''

Raph sighed in frustration. ''What are you gettin' at, Fearless?'' he asked, although the sinking feeling in his stomach was already alerting him to the answer that he somehow knew was coming.

''We find a way into the buildings and see what we can find out. If we see signs of cruelty, illegal activity or anything remotely corrupt, we'll find a way to bring it to the attention of the authorities.''

''What does this have to do with us? Why do we hafta get involved?'' Raph snapped, his thoughts now whirling around Rori.

Leo turned and fixed him with a piercing stare. ''Because we swore to protect this city and the people that live in it from any threat. We vowed to do everything in our power to keep it safe- shadows in the night, unseen and unknown, always-''

''Yeah, yeah, I know your mantra by heart already, Leo. Nothin' is threatenin' the city though, so it's got nothin' to do with us.''

''That's why we're going to investigate, so it doesn't come to that. There's enough credibility behind these rumours for us to be concerned and, regardless of whether this could become a threat to the public or not, those sort of immoral doings cannot be allowed to continue.'' Leo's gaze turned suspicious. ''Why are you so against this anyway? There's the possibility that you might get to go up against some people that aren't just lowlifes in the street trying to steal someone's wallet, I thought that would have pleased you.''

Raph merely grunted in reply. It had been so long since they'd faced any worthy foe, so many years since their defeat of the Shredder and his followers that he almost forgot what it felt like to fight a worthy fight. It was true that he sometimes yearned to be able to do more, to have the chance to make a difference beyond taking out a few muggers and burglars every now and then, but now that the opportunity was being presented to him, he wished that he had never wanted more than that due to the circumstances. How the hell was he supposed to explain to Rori that he and his brothers were now also involved in this whole mess surrounding her father and that they would have to become the ones to intervene should it be necessary? What had been a great deal of concern had now become full blown fear as his mind raced with torturous thoughts; would Rori no longer want him in her life should that happen, would his relationship with his brothers be forever ruined if they discovered his lies?

As he listened to Leonardo form a plan for entering the buildings the following night, he could only clench his fists against the surge of conflicting emotions that were whirling through him and hope that this would all amount to nothing, for all of their sakes and not just his own.

* * *

_So, that's the next chapter down! I've always had the idea that if Raphael was to have a job it would have to involve mechanics of some kind, and the idea of him and Casey owning a garage together was just something I had to write about, hopefully you guys liked it! Also, I have no real idea of what kind of little restaurants or cafes are based around or near Central Park, nor do I have any real idea about the more intimate layout of the city so I'm pretty much just making this up as I go along; the place Rori and her friends eat is based on a bistro in the town where I live which is well known for its delicious mussel dishes, and I thought it would be a good way to introduce the rest of the group. _

_With regards to the machine and other such scientific aspects, I'm not a scientific person, at least not in the non sci-fi way, nor do I claim to have any impressive knowledge regarding that sort of thing so it's kind of a suspend disbelief/go with the flow it's fiction sort of deal, as in I know a machine like that could never work but let's pretend that it can, you get me? ;D I mean, hey, if you can believe four turtles being able to walk and talk after being touched by some funky ooze, you can believe a lot of things, right?!_

_It will become more exciting very soon, I promise! Next chapter should be up in the next week or so._

_Until then, please read and review, thanks! _


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello again, chums! Massive thanks to the reviewers, followers and all those people who've read the story so far, your support is so greatly appreciated, hopefully you're all enjoying it so far :) So, I'll be honest, not a whole lot happens in this chapter, it's more of a filler that clues you in to some of the background history of the characters with a little bit of plot development. The next chapter is where things start happening but I hope this is enough in the meantime. So, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: OC's are the only thing that belongs to me.  
_

* * *

_Rori stood on the outside of her apartment building, just tucked out of sight in the adjacent alley away from prying eyes, and snivelled into her sleeves, shoulders shaking from the force of her quiet sobs. Three weeks she had been living in New York and she still hadn't made any friends. Three weeks and she'd endured nothing but teasing and meanness from the other children at her new school. Three weeks she'd been coming home with a fake smile painted on her face for her parents to see and it had finally become too much. _

_She'd been so excited to move to New York, it was something she had always dreamed of. Every film that ever included it had always portrayed it as magical and exciting place where wonderful things happened and she'd spent the last six months counting down the days until she could call it home. Now, she would do anything to go back to England, back to the small seaside town they had lived in where she had liked her school and had nice friends, where nobody picked on her for her accent or that she came from a wealthy family. _

_Today had been the worst day so far. She'd been dying to visit the public library and her mother, after spending four days travelling around the city with Rori so that there was no chance of the young girl becoming lost, had finally agreed to let her go after school. She'd spent two blissful hours inside the gigantic building, one of which she was sure was simply spent trailing her hand along the spines of the many, many books that lived upon the shelves. After obtaining a library card and selecting several books to borrow, she'd left with a smile on her face for the first time in what felt like a long time. Before she'd even reached the bottom of the steps, she'd encountered some of the bullies from school and was immediately subjected to a minute long ordeal of pushing, shoving, name calling and then, to add insult to injury, one of them had seized the treasured books from her arms and thrown them into a nearby shallow puddle. Nobody had noticed or paid any attention, not even when a trembling Rori had scooped the books up and hurtled away like the devil was chasing her. _

_She'd held the tears in until she'd reached her home and, upon finding herself unable to hold it in any longer, had hurried into the alley before Joe the doorman had spotted her and burst into tears. She cried for her old life, for the fact that she didn't know what to do to stop the bullies, for the fact that she didn't know how she would explain the state of the borrowed books in her arms and for the utter hopelessness and loneliness that she felt. _

_Rori didn't know how long she had been standing in the alley; it had been growing dark when she'd left the library and the sky was completely pitch black now, something she only became aware of when a sudden loud noise from behind her made her jump a few feet in the air and spin round with a loud cry. Upon seeing nothing, she blinked in confusion before jumping again as another crash broke through the air. She was tempted to run straight out of the alley but a muffled squawk of pain stopped her in her tracks. Eyes widening with curiosity and alarm, she edged forward and peered into the darkness that covered the stretch of alley before her._

_She swallowed heavily and clutched the ruined books closely to her chest as there was another low groan of pain._

''_H-hello?''_

_There was a gasp of surprise, a flurry of shadowy movement and a bang as something collided with a trashcan. Rori stood perfectly still, her face twisting into an uncertain frown. _

''_I…I didn't mean to scare you…Are you lost?''_

_She was met with nothing but the quiet sound of somebody breathing. Licking her lips nervously, she walked forward a few more paces, scanning the area carefully with her eyes._

''_Are you hurt? If you want, I can go get my mum and-''_

''_NO!''_

_Rori shrieked at the sudden sound of a voice and stumbled backwards, catching herself awkwardly on her own feet which sent her tumbling down. The books flew from her hands and she squeezed her eyes shut as her hands skidded across the ground. She gasped at the stinging feeling that danced over her palms and couldn't stop the fresh tears forming in her eyes._

_She didn't register the sound of movement behind her until the light, slow shuffling of footsteps became louder. She whirled around, holding up her grazed palms in defence as a figure, shrouded in darkness, loomed over her. _

''_I'm sorry!'' she cried, her chin trembling with fear. ''I didn't mean to bother you…I swear, I won't get my parents, I won't tell anyone…please, let me go.''_

_She watched as the figure appeared to stare at her for a moment. Then it stooped down and picked up the books with careful hands before rising up again and holding them out to here. Rori gaped up at the figure before slowly reaching up and accepting the books._

''_T-thank you…'' she said slowly._

_The figure tilted its head to the side. _

''_Why do ya talk like that?''_

_Rori frowned in confusion, lowering her shaking arms ever so slightly to place the books on top of her backpack which had fallen off during her fall._

''_Huh?''_

_The figure bobbed its head at her. ''Why do you talk in that weird voice?''_

_A wave of annoyance rose up inside Rori, momentarily washing over her fright. Utterly fed up of people mocking her for her accent, she couldn't disguise the venom in her response._

''_I don't talk weird. Have you ever thought that maybe you talk weird?''_

_She couldn't help the little laugh of shock that escaped her lips as she realised that she had finally stood up to somebody, especially a creepy shadow hiding down an alley. The dark figure in front of her didn't respond and Rori took her chance to slowly get to her feet. Upon standing, she realised that the figure was only a little bit taller than she was. It lifted an arm and rubbed its head in what appeared to be an awkward manner._

''_I, uh…sorry I made ya fall over…you just scared me when you said 'bout gettin' your parents.''_

''_Why don't you want me to? You sounded like you were hurt. They can help you if you are.''_

''_Nah, I just cut my arm on a piece of glass when I tripped over.''_

''_Glass? Let me see.''_

''_What? No, I don't hafta show you anythin'…hey, I said-hey, get offa me!''_

_All lingering traces of fear and terror had completely left Rori the second she realised she had been frightened of nothing more than a kid; a boy, most likely the same age she was. Without another thought, she reached out and quickly located his wrist in the blackness before yanking him forward, pulling him with just enough force to plunge him into the beam of light that streaked just a few metres into the alleyway from the street._

''_Stop being such a baby! Let me just take a look and…''_

_Rori's eyebrows flew up under her fringe in surprise and her eyes grew in size at the sight of the green arm she held in her hand. She swallowed and slowly lifted her head, past the small crimson cut that stood out against the emerald skin, gradually drawing up the length of a pale plated chest to a pair of green shoulders, to a wide mouth that was open slightly in shock and finally to a pair of bright amber eyes that stared at her in unmistakeable horror from behind a red mask. She blinked several times, half expecting the sight in front of her to simply vanish into thin air. However, the tell-tale throbbing of a pulse that emanated from the wrist she held in her fingers told her that he was most definitely real. She stared at him for a few moments, her brow knitted together as though she was trying to work out the best way to react. Mere seconds seem to pass like days as the silence grew between them until, finally, he spoke once again. ''Please don't tell anyone.''_

_Rori swallowed, her tongue suddenly feeling too big for her mouth. ''W…what are you?''_

_The amber eyes blinked at her. ''I'm a turtle…a mutant turtle.''_

''_Mutant?''_

_He nodded. ''When I was a baby, some ooze got spilt on me an' my family an' it made us grow big an' be able to talk.''_

''_There's more of you? Are they all here too?''_

_He shook his head as she quickly peeked over his shoulder. ''No. We live underground…in the sewers.''_

_Her eyes widened in shock. ''Really? But you must get so cold down there!''_

''_It's okay. Splinter…my dad, he brings us stuff from up here so we get by.''_

''_Oh…'' Rori felt strangely sad as she took in his words, not liking the idea of him living in the cold, dank depths of the city's sewers._

_He shuffled his feet awkwardly, peering at her almost shyly. ''D'ya live here?'' He nodded at the wall of the building next to them. _

''_Yeah…me and my parents just moved here from England.''_

''_Is that why ya talk funny?''_

_Rori wrinkled her nose at him. ''Well, I think you talk funny!''_

_A small smile quirked at the side of his wide mouth before he looked at her with a curious expression. ''Ain't you scared of me?''_

_Rori frowned. ''Scared of you? Why would I be scared of you?''_

_He looked down at himself, as though it was painfully obvious. She couldn't help but laugh. ''Okay, you are strange, but you're not scary.''_

_To prove her point, she stuck her grazed left hand out towards him._

''_I'm Rori.''_

''_Rori?''_

''_Yeah…it's short for Aurora.''_

_He looked down at her hand carefully for a moment before he cautiously reached out, wrapping his own hand around hers gently._

''_I'm Raphael…but just call me Raph.''_

''_Raph…'' _

_She smiled tentatively at him and his mouth twitched in response._

''_It's nice to meet you.''_

_After a few moments they released each other's hands and Raph edged back into the darkness. _

''_I should get back before they notice I'm gone.''_

''_Oh…what were you doing here anyway?''_

_He shuffled his feet awkwardly. ''I was explorin' the sewer tunnels an' I got a bit lost…went left when I should've gone right an' decided to have a look out here before I tried to find my way back…''_

''_You're lucky nobody saw you!''_

_He nodded. ''That's why I was hidin' when I heard you come into the alley.''_

_There was an awkward pause before Raph asked the question she felt that she knew was coming._

''_Why were you cryin'?''_

_Rori felt blood rush to her cheeks, drawing her attention the sticky trails left behind from her tears upon her skin. She looked at his face and was struck by the genuine curiosity and interest in his gaze._

''_Erm…some kids from my school were mean to me,'' she gestured lamely to the ruined books, ''and they threw my library books in a puddle and pushed me.''_

_A frown fell upon Raphael's face. ''Why did they do that?''_

_Rori shrugged. ''I don't know. They don't like me because I'm different, I guess.''_

_Raphael didn't reply but as she realised what she had said, she had a feeling that he completely understood, and that he definitely had it so much worse than she. Suddenly, it didn't seem so bad, not after looking at the young mutant turtle standing awkwardly in the shadows in front of her._

_He glanced behind him again. ''I really gotta go.''_

_Finding herself desperate for him not to leave just yet, she blurted, ''Maybe we could be friends?''_

_He regarded her carefully. ''Friends?''_

_Rori felt her stomach sinking with sadness, fearing the rejection that could be coming. ''Do you not want to be friends?''_

_Raph shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. ''Dunno, I've never had one before.''_

''_Well, I'd like to be your friend, and then you could be mine.'' She took a tentative step closer, heart racing with excitement. ''Is that okay?''_

_Happiness enveloped her like a warm hug as he nodded, albeit somewhat warily. _

''_Yeah, that's okay.''_

_Without another word, he shrank back, mixing in with the darkness and fading out of Rori's sight. The sound of a nearby manhole cover being lifted open drew her attention to where he was and she quickly darted forward in his direction, bumping into something hard as she did so._

''_Hey…watch the shell!''_

''_Sorry…'' Rori couldn't stop her fingers from tracing the shape and texture of the carapace that protected him; it was strange yet oddly pleasing beneath her fingertips._

''_D'ya want somethin'?''_

''_Oh!'' Rori stepped back from him in slight embarrassment but stayed close enough just to see the outline of him. ''I just wondered if you, that is…'' She cleared her throat. ''Will I see you again?''_

_There was a silence and Rori could feel his stare on her face._

''_Why would ya wanna see me again?''_

_Rori blinked, slightly taken aback at his response. ''Because I like you and if we're going to be friends, we should see each other.''_

''_How are we gonna see each other? Not like we can go for walks in the park an' stuff like that,'' he said somewhat bitterly._

_Rori looked around for an answer and found one almost immediately._

''_You could come to this alley again and climb up the fire escape!'' She said excitedly. ''It connects to the balcony outside my bedroom. If you come at night and go up it quietly, nobody will hear or see you.''_

_Raph glanced uncertainly at the fire escape. ''Won't your parents see me?''_

_Rori shook her head. ''They won't, I promise.''_

_She saw his head tilt in thought and held her breath during the long quietness that followed._

''_I'll try an' come by in a few days…that good with you?''_

_Rori couldn't contain the grin that quickly appeared on her face. ''Yeah, that's good with me.''_

_He nodded and moved to shift the manhole cover again with a soft clank before he quickly began to descend into the blackness of the long sewer network. ''I'll see ya.''_

''_Yeah…see you.''_

* * *

Rori jolted awake with a snort, scrabbling around momentarily in sleepy alarm before flopping back against the couch with a loud groan. She hated falling asleep after work, especially when she had only intended to rest her eyes for ten minutes, not nap for nearly two hours. Blinking her twitching eyes, she quickly reached for her phone that was lying on the table, almost dropping it in her haste. She pressed the button to light up the display screen and her face fell with disappointment at the realisation that she had not missed any calls or messages from Raphael, only two texts from Dexter that had been sent an hour ago, asking her to call him when she had a moment. She had not heard from Raphael since the night before last and he hadn't responded to any of her messages, nor had he answered when she had tried to call him. It wasn't exactly abnormal for her friend to go off the radar for a few hours, usually due to training or patrolling or because he was sleeping, but after the incident involving the Shredder all those years ago that had nearly killed him and sent he and his family into hiding, resulting in weeks of worry for Rori as she wondered what had happened to her friend, he had promised to always maintain a high level of contact. The fact that she hadn't seen or heard from him in over twenty four hours wasn't something to truly panic about, but it gave her an uneasy feeling that seemed to settle heavily in her chest.

As she rose up to get a drink from the kitchen, there was a buzz from the apartment phone. She hurried over and picked it up.

''Yes?''

''Miss Jones,'' Charlie the doorman's voice crooned down the line, ''your father is here to see you.''

Rori managed to stop herself from groaning down the phone, instead she banged her head lightly against the wall.

''Thanks, Charlie.'' she said as way of acceptance and put down the phone. Dread and irritation began to cloud her mind, already making her feel defensive before the man had even set foot in the room. She moved to open the front door and quickly retrieved a glass of water, downing it in two massive gulps. A cursory glance of the area made her feel relief that she had given the place a good clean that morning before heading off to work, because the last thing she needed right now was to give her father any more ammunition than he already seemed to have.

''Hello, Darling.''

Rori's hair flew behind her as she whirled round sharply to look at her father as he entered the apartment, closing the door behind him. He was dressed in an expensive looking suit with a striped tie hanging a little loosely from his collar. His salt and pepper hair was ruffled more from tiredness than style it seemed and his eyes were underlined with shadows. He looked as though he hadn't slept properly for days and Rori felt a pang of sympathy for him amidst the lingering anger from their last conversation.

''The place looks lovely,'' he commented while looking around the main room.

''Why are you here, Dad?'' Rori asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

''Whoa, does a father need a reason to visit his only daughter?'' he said with a weak chuckle, heading across the room to stand by the couch, looking very out of place.

''He does if the last three times he spoke to his daughter he did nothing but try and give her ridiculous lectures.''

Max looked at his daughter's stony expression and sighed, reaching up to run a hand through his hair, causing it to stand even more on end.

''I'm only trying to look out for you, sweetheart. Like any father would for his daughter.''

''No, you're trying to rule my life.'' she snapped. ''I've tried to be understanding, I've tried to be gentle with how I've handle this whole…'' she waved her hand angrily in the air, ''control freak thing you've had going on for the last three years, but I can't do it anymore. I don't want to feel like I'm living my life badly or that I'm not doing well for myself because I know that I am doing well. I hate that you make me feel that nothing I choose to do with my life will make you proud when it damn well should, and you know it.''

Max frowned at her. ''What are you talking about? Of course I'm proud of you, I'm beyond proud of you!''

Rori could only convey her confusion by glaring at him. ''Then why the hell are you acting like you think the complete opposite?''

Max sighed and dropped onto the couch, hands over his face while he breathed loudly through his nose. ''Darling, you've accomplished so much and I couldn't be more proud of you. You're so bright, so gutsy, determined,'' he smiled to himself, ''and just so much like your mother. I knew that whatever you ended up doing would be something that you would truly want to do and I'm glad that you're happy, because you should be. But none of this 'control freak thing' as you so eloquently put it is meant to be a reflection of my thoughts about your life, at least not in the sense you're thinking of.''

Rori blinked. ''What do you…'' Realisation dawned on her as she watched the shame and, to her surprise, worry crease his weary face. ''This is to do with you working with ChemLab isn't it?''

''Look, I just feel that with things the way they are at the moment, what with the press getting involved and all those unsavoury rumours flying around, it would just be safer for you to be closer to home, that's all. Some people are really against ChemLab so now they're against me, activists and protestors who don't have a stopping point when it comes to making stands. I'm worried that somebody would try to use you or hurt you to get to me.''

Rori shook her head and ran a hand through her hair in disbelief. ''You have got to be kidding me. How the hell would that even happen? Nobody knows who I am, the most recent picture the press have of me is one from the eighth grade, so how are some lunatics with a vendetta against a company that experiments on people going to find me? Why would that even want to? What would that accomplish?''

''They don't experiment on people!'' Max shouted suddenly, thumping his fists into the couch cushions. ''This whole thing is just a witch hunt cooked up by the press because they have nothing better to do, but unfortunately the majority of the people in this city are stupid enough to believe everything they read or hear in the news, so this is why I'm telling you, not asking you, Aurora, to do the sensible thing and think about your personal safety!''

''My personal safety?!'' Rori screeched, unable to hold down the fury that had been boiling up inside of her. ''You're my father, if you fucking cared about my safety, you would have thought twice before becoming involved with that company, regardless of whether the rumours are true or not!'' She slammed her hands down on the kitchen counter. ''You have no right to come here and try to screw up my life just because of the mistakes that you've made!''

''Aurora, stop acting like a child and listen to me, damn it!'' Max stormed over to her. ''There are people out there who want to cause serious harm to me.''

Rori stared coldly at him. ''Then that's your problem.''

Max recoiled as though she had physically struck him. She didn't truly mean it, of course she cared, but right now she was far too furious to admit it. He closed his eyes for a moment before fixing her with a piercing stare.

''You're right, it is my problem, but that doesn't change the fact that you could still be in danger and as your father, it is my duty to keep you safe.''

''Should have thought of that before you made this stupid mistake in the first place.'' Rori stomped towards the front door and opened it, gesturing with her other hand for him to leave.

''Rori, please listen to me. I'm trying to protect you, nothing more.''

''I think you staying away from me will be protection enough.'' she said acidly. ''You want to associate with people who do sick things then that makes you just as bad as they are. Instead of trying to control my life, Dad, why don't you sort your own out first and stay the hell out of mine.''

Max's face crumpled with defeat and he shook his head before walking towards the door. He paused on the other side and turned to look at his daughter.

''I'm only doing this because I love you, Aurora.''

Rori didn't reply and slammed the door shut with a resounding bang, collapsing against it with a muffled cry. Her breath came in short bursts as she struggled to regain control of her emotions, struggling desperately against the tide of fury and confusion that beat against her. She remained against the door for a while, only startled into moving by the ringing of her phone. Lighting up at the thought of Raphael finally calling her, she hurried across the room and snatched it up without even looking at the screen.

''Hello?''

''Hey, babe, where you been?'' Dexter's voice sounded in her ear.

Rori fell heavily onto the couch with an audible groan.

''I've been dealing with the insanity that represents my dysfunctional relationship with my dad,'' she mumbled loudly. ''How are you?'' she added sarcastically.

''Good thing I called then. Get your pretty ass up and get dressed, we'll be round to pick you up in an hour.''

''What for?''

''What do you mean 'what for'?!'' Dexter all but yelled. ''It's Saturday night, we're young, free and you need cheering up so we're gonna go out, have a ton of drinks and dance our worries away. Now shut up and get ready!''

He hung up and Rori dropped the phone to the floor with another groan. Between Raphael maintaining radio silence and her dad turning up, she could quite happily just crawl into bed and sleep for a million years. The idea of a night out with her friends, however, was slightly more tempting and with a great effort she heaved herself up from the cushions and went to take a shower.

* * *

''Alright, is everyone clear on the plan?''

''Leo, we've gone over it four times in the last hour, we got it.''

The four brothers stood side by side upon a rooftop overlooking the MJ Enterprises building. It was a colossal structure, seemingly formed of nothing but reflective glass and dark metal. The flashing lights of the city bounced from the glass, creating a disco ball effect that quickly began to give Raphael a headache. He turned his gaze away and let his thoughts drift to Rori, his gut twisting uncomfortably with guilt. He wanted to see her but he knew that the second she saw him, she would know that something was up, that he was keeping something from her. Even if she heard his voice, she would know, which was why he hadn't answered her calls or responded to her text messages. He knew that she would be angry when he finally showed his face, furious even, but he could deal with that a hell of a lot better than he could deal with her knowing anything about what he and his brothers were about to do.

''Raph!''

His head snapped towards Leonardo, who was looking at him strangely. ''What?!''

''You ready?''

''Let's just get this over with.'' he growled.

Leo turned his attention to Donatello who held a small laptop in his hands, his fingers a blur as they moved across the keys. ''How we looking, Donnie?''

''I'm in the network but security is tight, which isn't surprising seeing as this building belongs to Max Jones so he most likely designed all the protective hardware himself. It's really amazing how-''

''Donnie.''

''Right, right, sorry…'' The brainy turtle's tongue poked out from between his teeth as he continued to type furiously for another minute. ''If I've calculated this right, all security protocols should shut down, including the security cameras, but shutting those off could alert any night guards that might be working inside so we'll still need to exercise proper precautions.''

Mikey rolled his eyes. ''So this whole thing is still gonna be a pain in the ass?''

''Typically, security guards don't pay attention unless something gives them a reason to, so I'm hoping that they won't notice the cameras are off for some time.'' He gave a few more taps against the keys. ''Guess we'll find out, systems going offline now.''

Donnie quickly closed the laptop and shoved it into the bag that was hanging by his side before adjusting the strap resting securely across his plastron. He looked over at his brothers who were watching the building expectantly, as though waiting for a sign, and he snorted.

''Waiting for the green light?''

''Wouldn't be able to see it even if there was one.'' Raph snapped, gesturing in disgust at the whirling reflection of lights.

''Okay, let's go.''

With precision, the four brothers made their way to the roof of the building, taking care to remain within the shadows as much as possible. They rapidly converged on the door intended for use in emergency evacuations within the building and made quick work of it, slipping silently down the darkened stairwell on the other side. Following Donatello closely, they hurried down two more sets of stairs, pausing only when they reached the door that would lead them out onto the floor that Max Jones' office resided on. Pressing themselves up against the wall, the others waited as Donnie slowly opened the door. He eased his head out and looked around before drawing himself back in and turning to look at his waiting brothers.

''Okay, be quick, be silent and we should be fine. We're aiming for the door at the very end of the hallway.''

''Can't you do something about the lights?'' Leonardo complained, waving a hand at the fluorescent bulbs above them. ''I feel like I should be basking right now.''

''Sure, if you definitely want to attract attention. I can't turn them all off individually, Leo, it's done by a selection of floors and I don't know exactly where the guards are, so turning any of them could alert them to our presence.''

''Fine,'' Leo sighed, clearly unhappy with how exposed they were. ''Fall in.''

Donnie completely opened the door and led the way as they hurried along the hall in a silent formation, weapons ready and eyes alert for any movement in the surrounding area. Approaching their target, Donatello whipped out a small electronic device that resembled a calculator and placed it upon the keypad that sat on the wall beside the door. He quickly pressed a few buttons and waited impatiently as it whirred and flashed a light for a few seconds before there was a beep and the sound of a lock releasing. Leo moved to open the door while Donnie retrieved the gadget and hurried everyone inside, making sure to close and relock the door once inside.

''Whoa…this place is insane!'' Mikey whistled as they slowly spread out, taking in the huge office with equal expressions of surprise and amazement. The colour scheme of the room was nothing but gunmetal grey, navy blue and sterile white, right down to the pristine couch that rested against the left wall and the impressive desk that stood in front of the floor to ceiling window that made up the rear of the room. Aside from the various motivational pictures on the walls and minimal selection of stationary and computer equipment upon the desk, it was a very empty room and had a very clinical feel to it that made Raphael feel extremely uncomfortable. Not that he wasn't already feeling uncomfortable, what with breaking into the office of the father of his secret best friend and all, but that combined with the possibility of what they might actually find within the ominous room made his skin practically vibrate with unease.

''I'm guessing he's not one for decoration…'' Leo said slowly, eyes roaming the room as he followed Donnie round the desk to the computer. ''Hurry up and do what you need to do, Donnie, so we can get out of here.''

Donatello flexed his fingers and began to move them furiously over the keyboard, muttering nonsensically to himself as he trawled through various files and documents. Mikey, having moved to watch him, let out another whistle and picked up a photo frame from the desk.

''Heyyy, is this his daughter? She's a babe! Oh, dude, I could easily dream about her!''

Raphael felt a wave of fury rush over him like hot lava and he fought to contain it, clenching his hands into fists and inhaling deeply. Mikey's words dug into him with a tight grip, drawing a sensation of protectiveness up from somewhere inside him that was so strong, it almost made him gasp for air.

'_It's just 'cos she's your friend, that's all. You were the same way when Casey made a play for April at first, protective 'cos April's your friend an' you wanted her to be treated right…it's just like that,' _he told himself, closing his eyes and willing himself to calm down.

'_Yeah but April never made you feel the way Rori does.' _A traitorous voice sneered from the back of his mind and he could only fight the urge to roar in frustration, feeling the sweat start to break out on his skin from the sheer effort of remaining in control.

''Seriously, Raph, you need to come take a look at this girl, she's so your type.''

''What the fuck are you talkin' 'bout?!'' He couldn't help but snarl somewhat defensively, earning a strange look from Mikey and Leo, while Donnie's eyes remained glued to the computer screen that was casting an eerie glow across his serious face.

''Well, she's all nimble and curvy looking with big eyes and dark hair.'' Mikey peered closely at the photo again. ''She's even got a nose piercing and a tattoo!'' He grinned lecherously at his older brother. ''It's like your wet dream girl come to life!''

Raphael stormed over to him and snatched the frame from his hand while Leo took the opportunity to smack his little brother sharply over the back of the head. As Donnie shushed them and resumed his frantic typing, Raph covertly slid his gaze to the picture in his hand and felt his heart lurch. It wasn't a picture he had seen before but he knew that it was a recent one taken in the last few years, definitely before her mother had passed, as Rori didn't look all that different to how she did now, just slightly younger. It wasn't a professional photo, just a snapshot of Rori in mid laughter with her hair flying behind her and eyes crinkled with mirth. The tattooed script upon her inner forearm was just visible as her outstretched arm reached for the camera. He remembered the day that Rori had shown him the fresh ink upon her arm, her skin red and slick with healing ointment, her face alight with pride and joy for the words now buried into her skin forever; words that inspired the strength and spirit that he admired so much.

''What is 'I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul'from? Is it a movie quote 'cos I think I've heard it before.'' Mikey mused, standing on his toes to try and get another look at the picture.

''It's from _Invictus_,'' Raph said without thinking, picturing Rori's tattoo clearly in his mind with its tasteful style and delicate font. ''It's a poem.''

The sound of Donatello's typing fell silent as he turned to stare at Raph along with Mikey and Leo. Feeling scrutinised for the millionth time in too short a time period, Raph set the picture frame down beside the one containing a picture of Max and his wife on their wedding day and returned their stares with a poisonous glare.

''What?!''

''Since when do you read poetry?'' Leo inquired, an amused smile playing on his mouth.

''Oh, so I don't know how to read now?!'' Raphael snarled, folding his arms tightly against his plastron. ''Just 'cos I don't make a big deal 'bout books don't mean that I don't enjoy 'em from time to time!''

''Nobody is saying that, Raph.'' Donnie explained slowly. ''We're just…surprised, I guess.''

Raphael grunted, still feeling quite insulted. While it was true that he was the least likely of his brothers to spend a day with his nose buried between the pages of a book, comic or novel, being around Rori and her blatant love for literature had rubbed off on him slightly over the years. While he preferred being read to than doing it himself, he still found enjoyment in it every now and then, much like Donatello when he occasionally allowed himself to take a break and devour a series of comic books that Mikey had lent him.

''Okay, so moving on from Raph's surprising keenness for the written word,'' Leo quipped, gesturing to the computer screen. ''Have you found anything, Donnie?''

Donatello's fingers gave a few more rapid series of taps upon the keys before he slowly stood up and rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. ''In terms of the general company information, everything seems to be as it should be, nothing to signify any wrongdoing of any kind. Even the schematics for the machine look perfectly sound. However…'' Donnie sighed, frowning at the screen. ''He's certainly keen to keep his personal files completely personal, that's for sure. I haven't found anything of interest except for this file that is so perfectly protected, I'm running out of options.'' His tongue poked out between his teeth as he bent down to resume his frantic typing, his fingers once again morphing into a green blur.

''Do you think it's due to something incriminating or that he's just a very security conscious person?'' Leonardo asked.

''He'd have to be if he's this loaded,'' Mikey said, hands emerging from an open drawer clutching a thick chequebook. ''How the hell is it possible for someone to have this much money?''

''When you've got the knowhow, you can do anything.'' Leo said simply with a shrug. Mikey turned his stunned eyes onto Donatello and thrust the chequebook at him.

''Well, in that case, why aren't we rolling in it when Donnie is probably one of the cleverest people on the whole planet?!''

''Somehow I don't think it would be that simple, Mikey,'' Donnie replied, barely glancing at the chequebook that Mikey flapped in his face. ''I think the idea that a mutated turtle could be more intelligent and successful than a human might cause some controversy.''

''Yeah but that wouldn't matter if we were rich!'' Mikey insisted.

''We make plenty of money between us, knucklehead.'' Raph snatched the chequebook and shoved it back into the drawer. ''Can we just get the hell outta here?''

At that moment, Donnie let out a little triumphant cheer and a manic grin appeared on his face. ''I'm in, finally!'' His eyes poured over the information that flooded the screen, absorbing everything like a sponge. Page after page of data appeared rapidly and Donatello speedily read each one as he hunted for anything remotely linked to what they were searching for. The other three waited impatiently beside him, eyes barely able to take in what their brother was seeing.

Then, ''Okay, here's something…Personal correspondence between Max and that Gale Vincent guy,'' Donnie said, pulling up reams of emails that had been shared between the two men. After a moment of quickly scanning through them, a look of confusion fell upon his face. ''Guys, listen to what's written here-Rest assured, we will not be making the same mistakes as that idiotic Oruku Saki made when he tried to achieve dominance. We will not be caught. If you wish to remain anonymous in this endeavour, my friend, then that is your choice, although I fear it will be one that you will regret once you see what I can achieve with your technology.''

''Oruku Saki?'' Leo asked softly. ''How could what the Shredder did have any relevance to this situation?''

''Well, he wasn't exactly secretive about his intentions in the end and he was the last great threat to the people of this city and, quite possibly, the world if he had succeeded. People don't forget that sort of thing, so I guess it means that because they're smarter than him, whatever they're planning between them won't be discovered.'' Donnie said, scrolling through a few more pages. ''From the looks of these emails, it seems like originally a deal was struck between Jones and Vincent to enhance the power of the machine that Jones initially created. However, the last few months of emails show extreme disagreement between the two as it looks as if Vincent has taken over control of the construction and testing of the machine.''

''What does that mean?'' Raph grunted.

Donnie could only shrug in response. ''That's where the trail ends. These emails chronicle the building frustration between the two but it doesn't go into any detail about what is actually happening with the machine, how it's being tested or what is causing Jones to be so concerned.''

''If the guy is using Shredder as an example, they can't be up to anything good.'' Mikey said, earning nods from Raphael and Leonardo.

''Question is, does Jones have any true involvement in this or is Vincent the one calling the shots? And if he is, why is Jones letting him do so?'' Leonardo folded his arms and closed his eyes, brow dipped in thought. ''We have no option but to go to the ChemLab and see if we can obtain further answers there.''

''Great, whatever, let's just go already!'' Raph snarled, stalking back towards the office door, unlocking it and flinging it open, revealing four night guards cautiously walking down the hallway. They froze at the sight of him, eyes wide and jaws hanging with utter fear. One shakily withdrew a baton from his belt and held it sloppily in front of himself, making Raph grin for the first time that day.

''Aww, how cute.'' He bent his legs and launched himself into a flip which sent him sailing over their heads. Landing behind them, he chuckled as they whirled around with yells of disbelief. ''Nothin' personal, boys, hope ya understand,'' he said before swiftly seizing two of them and bashing their heads against the other two, rendering them a groaning, mostly unconscious, pile on the floor.

''Raphael! That wasn't necessary!'' Leo reprimanded harshly from the doorway.

''Maybe not, but it sure as hell made me feel better!''

* * *

_I've always had this little headcanon that Donatello will sometimes unwind by reading comic books because they're so far removed from the technical and scientific stuff he works with, so it's a nice thing for him to be able to just read something interesting that doesn't require work, even though he would still probably rather unwind by tinkering with something! Also, with Raph and the whole reading thing, I love the idea that he quite enjoys books, and for this story I've always had the vision that he loves being read to because, while he doesn't really have the patience to do it himself, he loves hearing the stories, especially when Rori reads them to him so over the years he's become quite knowledgeable about books but it's not something he would ever really share with his brothers.  
_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it's quite weak and not alot happens but I hope it's decent enough for you to enjoy. Also, I have no real idea about how security in buildings work, I'm just making their entrance and such seem easy because they're ninjas at the end of the day, they're meant to be stealthy!_

_Next chapter will be up in a week or so! Thanks again!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello, friends! So here we are at chapter four where things start to get interesting...at least I hope so! Please enjoy!_

_Apologies for any mistakes, grammatical errors and such. _

_Disclaimer: Only the OC's are mine!_

* * *

The bar was alive and throbbing with heat and pulsating music that made all the bodies in the room move together like an ocean wave. Bright lights swirled all around, lighting up the five man band that rocked out on the small stage in the back of the room. Upon the dance floor, friends danced the night away with one another while voices screeched drink orders over each other at the bar. Turning to look out into the crowd, Rori took a large sip of her drink and let out a laugh.

''God, could he want her more?'' she shouted to Ollie over the bouncy guitar and heavy drumbeat of the band, gesturing her head in the direction of where Dexter and Rosie danced casually beside each other, Dexter casting longing glances at the blonde girl all the while. Her friend shook his head with a smile and began to bob along to the music, glass held high to avoid anyone knocking into it.

It was getting close to the early hours of the morning and they had been bar hopping for the past six hours, barely staying in one place for longer than two or three drinks before hurrying along to the next one. Rori, initially reluctant to even entertain the notion of enjoying herself, had gradually loosened up and allowed all thoughts of Raphael to slip to the back of her mind as she cavorted through the night with her friends. She knew that tomorrow would bring all the feelings of upset and anger back to the forefront of her thoughts but she was determined to enjoy herself in the meantime. She nudged Ollie further into the crowd, clapping along with everyone else as the song finished and a new one started up almost immediately after. Time seemed to lose all meaning entirely as she danced along with the crowd for song after song, consuming more drinks to quench her thirst, feeling carefree and merry. As the next song took on a quieter and melodic tone, someone bumped her heavily from behind. Turning, she let out an audible groan at the sight of the pointed face girl standing behind her, flanked by several equally unpleasant looking people.

''Becky,'' she greeted her old school acquaintance loudly with a wry smile. ''Still looking as lovely as ever, I see.''

''Aurora,'' Becky Anderson sneered in response, grey eyes flashing nastily. ''Still talking with that awful British accent, I see.''

''Yeah, funny that, seeing as I am British with a British family.'' Rori shrugged. ''At least I have an excuse for the way I talk-there's no explaining why you feel the need to make every sentence sound like you're asking a question.''

Dexter laughed loudly and Rosie bumped her shoulder playfully from behind while Rori fought to keep her face straight as Becky's face twisted into an even uglier shape.

''Speaking of your father, I hear that he's lost the plot recently and started experimenting on people. Guess that's what happens when you have more money than sense.''

The smile fell from Rori's face and her eyes narrowed into slits. The tempo of the music changed once again into a louder and fast paced sound and she had to shout to make herself heard, ''Don't you speak about my dad like that.''

Knowing that she'd hit a sensitive spot, Becky tossed her dark hair sassily away from her face and grinned maliciously. ''I'm not the only one talking about him, honey. Everyone's saying that he's flipped his lid and gone mad with greed and the only way he can get his latest invention to work is to experiment on some poor innocent people.'' Her eyes slowly dragged up and down Rori's shaking body. ''Maybe he experimented on your mother too so that she'd give birth to a fre-ARGH!''

Becky let loose a wailing scream as Rori lunged for her and tackled her to the ground. Shouts and yells from the surrounding crowd rang out over the music and multiple hands began to pull at her as she shook Becky furiously by the shoulders, shouting senseless obscenities at her. She was aware of Ollie and Rosie exchanging equally poisonous words and shoves over her head with the members of Becky's entourage, and then Dexter's voice hopelessly trying to reason with the bouncer that was now wrapping Rori in a tight bear hug and lifting her bodily up from the ground. Within seconds, she was outside upon the cold pavement glaring up at the bouncer as he reprimanded her, voice smug with authority.

''Yeah, well, this place is shit anyway!'' Dexter jeered as he yanked Rori to her feet and steered her along the street, Rosie and Ollie hurrying along beside them, Ollie having had the good sense to grab their jackets beforehand which he dutifully passed to their respectful owners. ''Ten dollars for a beer is outrageous!''

As her friends laughed, Rori shook herself free and stormed ahead into the chilly night, trying to quell the anger churning through her. She had a short fuse sometimes but she'd never blown up like that before, at least not physically. She glanced down at her trembling hands and let out a breath, her thoughts drifting to the person that expressed his anger with fists more than words.

''God, I'm acting just like Raph,'' she said to herself, palming her face with frustration.

''Who's Raph?''

Her head jerked up to see Ollie's questioning look and she shook her head, wanting to kick herself for such a stupid slipup.

''Just a friend.''

''How come we've never heard of this 'friend'?'' Dexter demanded, making air quotes with his fingers at the last word.

''I do have other friends besides you three,'' Rori growled, lifting her coat collar up against the bitter night air.

''Yeah, but we know all of them and I'm pretty sure you've never mentioned anybody named Raph,'' Rosie insisted, jogging to keep up with Rori's brisk pace.

''Can you all just drop it?!'' Rori snapped.

''Jeez! When did you become such an angry drunk?'' Rosie said with a scowl.

Rori slowed her fast pace down to a stop and sighed, rubbing the space between her eyes. Between the heat of the club, the alcohol and the adrenaline only just leaving her system, she could feel an epic headache looming.

''I'm sorry, you guys. I don't know what happened back there…''

''That skank pushed your buttons is what happened,'' Ollie said soothingly while wrapping an arm over her shoulders. ''This whole thing with your dad is really getting to you, huh.''

''He makes his own mistakes, I make mine. I just don't want some idiotic airhead like Becky Anderson talking badly about him because it just makes me realise even more how stupid his actions really are.''

''Well, forget him, then!'' Dexter shouted cheerily, throwing his arms around Rosie and Ollie's necks so that all four of them were linked together in a line. ''For now, anyway. How about we go back to Rori's place and finish this night off with a few more drinks and a good old fashioned sleepover.''

''Do I not get a say in this?'' Rori playfully grumbled, feeling a warm rush of love for her friends that quickly quashed any leftover anger running around inside of her, for now at least. They decided against trying to fight for a taxi during the 3am rush and happily trooped along together, knowing that the half hour walk would fly by in their merry state. The journey was spent exchanging jokes and making playful digs at one another, all previous problems momentarily forgotten in the wake of friends simply doing what friends do best.

As they finally rounded the long alley that led through to the street that Rori's apartment building was on, Dexter danced ahead of them in a ridiculous impression of Charlie Chaplin, his long black coat whirling behind him like a cape. He descended into the dim darkness that made up the middle of the alley and Rori felt a shiver of unease suddenly run up her spine as they followed him. It was pure luck that she saw the gloved hand swing for her from the shadows and she automatically ducked, only to be seized roughly from behind by a fierce grip. Her shout of warning was smothered by a large hand slapping across her mouth and she watched helplessly as the others were ambushed from the sides by a group of hulking figures dressed in black. Ollie grappled with one of them before another clubbed him over the back of the head with a heavy punch and knocked him to the ground, while Dexter valiantly tried to protect Rosie before they too were grabbed and manhandled into kneeling positions on the floor with their hair gripped firmly between thick fingers. Rori struggled frantically in the vice like grip around her, legs kicking wildly out in front of her.

''Easy there, girlie, or you'll end up doing yourself some real damage.'' a voice hissed in her ear.

''Don't just stand there cuddling her, you idiotic fuck!'' one of the others shouted from down the alley. ''Hurry the fuck up and get her in the van!''

Panic rose up inside her like bile. She struggled harder, barely moving within the confines of her trap. Dexter's shouts of protests were immediately silenced by a swift punch in the mouth that snapped his head back and sent blood flying onto the pavement. He spat out a wad of red liquid and groaned as his face was seized by the one man not holding any of them hostage.

''Keep your fucking mouth shut or you will live to regret it,'' he snarled lowly into Dexter's face. ''Got it, pretty boy?''

As she was moved away from her friends, desperation flooded Rori's senses and she did the only thing she could think and sank her teeth into the hand covering her mouth. The man behind her let out a screech of pain and she took the chance to jerk her head back, crying out as her skull collided with his nose. The grip around her fell away as the man moaned in pain and staggered backwards while clutching his face and Rori hurtled forwards, throwing her back against the wall. The unoccupied man watched the scene unfold, eyes glinting with interest behind his balaclava. He let out a long suffering sigh and released a metal pole that he had been concealing up the sleeve of his jacket. Movement to the side alerted her the four additional men that were entering the alley from the other end where a black van sat in waiting, meaning that there were nine lunatics in total in the alley with them.

''She broke my goddamn nose, boss! My fucking nose!'' the man she had head-butted cried from her left, removing his balaclava to reveal his furious glare that was made more menacing by the blood covering his face.

''Now, you really don't want to go making this any more difficult than it needs to be,'' the man who seemed to be charge said softly, slowly advancing on her with the pole rolling between his fingers. ''We're all armed, whereas you four are not. Do as we say and you and your little friends won't come to any harm, but if you don't…'' The poll swung from side to side in a casual yet threatening manner.

Rori pressed herself fully against the wall as though trying to sink into it, her breath coming in short bursts as the man came to stand within inches of her. Raphael had shown her simple hand to hand fighting techniques over the years but even if she was to try and hit him or block a swing from the pole, the strength of the man would quickly overcome her and she wouldn't stand a chance. The man to her left was still staring angrily at her with blood pouring from his nose. Edging just a little bit further away from him, she locked eyes with the man in front of her and swallowed, trying to summon some courage.

''Who are you?''

Icy blue eyes twinkled at her.

''You can call me Kinglsey.''

The name didn't ring any bells, not that she really expected it to. ''What do you want?''

''Let's just say it would be in the best interest of a lot of people if you were to just come along quietly and not ask questions. Like I say, do this the easy way and nothing bad will happen.''

''Don't listen to him, Rori!''

Rori shrieked as Dexter was punched again and hurled facedown onto the ground before being rolled onto his back and struck again and again. Rosie cried loudly and struggled against the restraining hands in her hair while Ollie did the same, swearing furiously.

''Bullard, pack it in! You know what he said, no fatalities!''

Bullard leant back, allowing Dexter room to take a huge breath and cough wetly, splattering himself with even more blood. Rosie's sobs echoed down the alley and Rori turned her furious yet terrified gaze back to Kingsley who simply shrugged at her.

''That is what will happen to the other two if you don't cooperate and come quietly.''

Rori held her breath and turned her head away as he walked closer, his face so close that she could smell the mint on his breath. The hand that wasn't holding the pole came up to rest against her cheek, fingers weaving in between her hair.

''You're lucky I have a strong work ethic and promised my employer that we would behave when we retrieved you, because damn, what I wouldn't like to do to you…''

''Please…'' Rori whimpered, closing her eyes tightly. ''Please just leave us alone, let us go.''

''No can do, I'm afraid. Got orders to follow, you know how it is. My employer is so looking forward to meeting you.'' His thumb brushed heavily over her bottom lip. ''He'll definitely give me some sort of reward for delivering you to him, and I know just exactly what I would like…''

As she felt his eyes raking hungrily over her, a swift surge of hot rage bolted through her and she twisted her head to glare darkly at him.

''Fuck you.'' She snarled before she could stop herself.

He blinked in surprise before bellowing out a loud and throaty laugh.

''Oo, I do like 'em feisty. Makes for a much more interesting game and let me tell you,'' he pressed his lips against her ear, ''we're gonna be playing many together, I'll make sure of that.''

Rori let out a disgusted whimper and vaulted away from the wall only for Kingsley to seize her arm in a rough grip. From somewhere deep down, she summoned the strength to bring the heel of her hand up into his face, thrusting his jaw shut with a horrible snap. His grip loosened but didn't fully let go and she took her chance to turn and elbow him sharply in the stomach, knocking him away from her. He let out a yell of fury and swung the pole sloppily at her, catching her across the chest and hurling her backwards to the ground. She hit the floor with an agonised cry, her body burning with pain. There was the sound of commotion from behind her and she twisted just in time to see a bloodied Dexter take his chance and hurl a fist into the face of a distracted Bullard that knocked the big man to the side. Scrabbling to his feet, he grabbed the metal bar that had fallen out from Bullard's jacket and hurled it through the air, catching Ollie's captor square in the chest. Ollie shot to his feet and intercepted the man coming for Dexter from behind while Rosie was finally released as the man holding her threw up his hands to stop the incoming blow from a madly swinging Dexter. As the other men swarmed on her friends, Rori began to struggle to her feet only to fall back as Kingsley stalked towards her, pole held high above his head.

''You fucking bitch! You're gonna pay for that!''

Rori shut her eyes and waited for the inevitable painful blow but the sound of metal singing through the air made her open them again, revealing a pair of sai hovering mere inches above her head, holding the pole at bay. Her heart leapt into her throat and she let out a relieved cry as a familiar voice reverberated against the walls.

''Get the fuck away from her.''

Horrified and confused yells from behind her had Rori twisting her head, eyes widening at the sight of three hulking figures careening into the huddle of men that surrounded her friends. Above her, Raphael launched his weapons upwards to send the pole flying through the air and he collided with Kingsley, ploughing him into the wall with a ferocious snarl.

''Rori!''

Rosie landed beside her and Rori automatically clung to her friend but kept her eyes firmly fixed on Raphael, unable to hear what he was saying over the noise of the fight that was taking place all over the alley. Bodies hurtled over their heads, weapons clashed and fists flew in such chaotic motion that Rori was starting to feel slightly sick, a feeling exacerbated by Rosie giving her a shake.

''Rori! C'mon, we need to get outta here!''

A groaning body bounced across the floor in front of them, quickly pursued by one of their saviours. ''Sorry, dudettes!'' he chortled as he flew by, weapons spinning over his head.

Rori was seized from behind and hoisted to her feet. ''Are you alright? Are either of you hurt?'' Dexter's frantic voice came from behind her and Rori dumbly shook her head, still watching Raphael as he pressed heavily on Kingsley's windpipe, resulting in the man choking out several raspy words. Seemingly satisfied, Raphael took hold of him by the jacket, threw him high into the air and quickly delivered a powerful kick straight to his abdomen that sent him shooting down to the other end of the alley. The movement propelled Raphael into the beam of one of the dim alley lights and Rori felt her stomach clench just as her friends let out startled gasps, staring at his illuminated silhouette in disbelief.

''Whoa, who the fuck are these guys?!''

''He doesn't even look human!''

''Who cares?!'' Ollie snapped, pulling on Rori's arm. ''They've saved our asses, now let's get the fuck out of here!''

''What about the police? I can hear sirens coming!'' Rosie insisted, pointing towards the street beyond the alley.

''Then let them deal with it! Let's just go!''

Ollie lifted his arm and hooked it over Rori's shoulders to hold her to him and began to steer her towards the alleyway exit while Dexter did the same with Rosie, directing them away from the carnage that was slowly ebbing to a halt as their attackers began to form a messy pile upon the ground. Rori cast her gaze back to Raphael and felt her heart lurch as his burning eyes met hers and he gave an almost indiscernible nod, signalling that it was okay for her to go. A fierce yearning to be near him overcame Rori with such force that her knees almost buckled and she clutched at Ollie for support, praying that Raphael would somehow know what she was feeling and know to come to her soon. With one last fleeting glance at her friend, she allowed herself to be pulled to safety.

* * *

Rori wasn't sure how long she had been staring out the window but judging from the ache in her legs, it had been quite a long time. All the lights were off and the room was lit barely by the glow of the streetlights from outside, allowing her to feel a small measure of comfort from being shrouded in darkness. A loud snore from the side dragged her attention to the three people sprawled across the couch; Dexter sat half upright at one end with his head back against the cushions, Rosie lay beside him with her head tucked against his side and Ollie governed the opposite end with sprawling limbs. They'd each fallen asleep gradually after an extensive argument about what they had seen, what it meant, what they should do or should have done and what felt like a million other things that only created more questions with no definitive answers. Rori couldn't kid herself and pretend that she didn't know that it was something to do with her father but her friends didn't need to know that, not yet, not without knowing all the facts.

She yawned widely and readjusted the thin blanket covering her shoulders, wrapping it further around her chilly frame. The sun would be coming up soon and she hadn't heard anything from Raphael since she had left the alley and she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she did.

''Mmm…turn the radio off, man…'' Ollie muttered in his sleep, rolling onto his back with a sigh. Rori couldn't help but snigger quietly, glancing over to smile fondly at her friends. Brave as they were, she had reprimanded them greatly for fighting back and risking their lives as they had. Although not ones for fighting at all, she knew that the boys would do anything to protect her and Rosie, that they would all do anything for each other, and in a fair fight they could do so easily if they really had to, but when the fight was up against people who clearly had no honour or care for others, she knew that they would never truly stand a chance. Dexter's face was a clear indicator of the kind of people they had encountered tonight; it was a mess of swelling and bruising so vivid that Rori found it hard to look at him, knowing that in some way it was because of her that they had all ended up in such a situation. Horrible thoughts of all the possible ways the night could have ended flooded her mind and she shook her head, willing them away with a deep shudder.

A shadow swiftly moved past the window then, startling her only slightly. She moved quickly but quietly, easing the window up and stealing away up the fire escape to the roof where she was confronted with Raphael pacing the rooftop. He didn't see her at first and she figured that he had probably been expecting her to be asleep. Without a word, she crossed the roof towards him with hurried steps, the desperate need to be near him still strong within her. He turned just as she reached him and let out a grunt of surprise as she hooked her arms around his sides and pressed herself to him in a fierce hug. The blanket slipped from her shoulders and fluttered to the ground but she didn't care, focusing on the comforting presence of him. They weren't much for physical contact, at least not in the embracing or cuddling sense, sticking mainly to one armed hugs and comforting hands on shoulders so she wasn't surprised that he didn't respond straight away. When his arms came up slowly to fold around her tentatively, her heart somersaulted frantically in her chest and she nuzzled her face against him, breathing in his familiar scent.

After a few minutes, he stepped back and bent down to retrieve the blanket, wrapping it around her with a shy gentleness. She finally allowed herself to look up at his face, taking in the tension around his mouth and the turmoil flickering in his eyes. He looked back at her, still holding onto the corners of the blanket.

''Raph…''

''What the hell were you thinkin'?'' he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Rori frowned. ''I'm sorry?''

''Walkin' down a fuckin' alley in the middle of the night! How stupid do you have to be?!''

''There were four of us! You don't really expect to get jumped by someone if you're in a group. Haven't you ever heard of safety in numbers?!''

''Yeah, well, a fat lot of good that did you guys tonight!'' he snapped, turning away to pace the rooftop again. ''I gotta tell ya, Princess, I really thought ya had more sense than that!''

Rori bristled at the bitter use of the nickname and the sarcastic tone of his voice. ''I've lived in this city for years and nothing like that has ever happened before, and it's not like this was a random mugging by some guys trying their luck, Raph, these guys were after me and you know it.''

Raph stilled and he sighed heavily. ''Gale Vincent sent 'em.''

Rori's palms began to sweat. ''Gale Vincent who owns ChemLab?''

''How many others do ya know?'' Raph spat, whirling round to face her again. ''That Kingsley guy said that he wanted you so he could use you as a tool against your dad.''

Her father's words from earlier echoed in her mind and she subconsciously pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, something that Raphael immediately noticed and his frown deepened.

''What is it?'' He murmured, eyes studying her troubled face carefully.

''It's…my dad came and saw me earlier, said something about wanting to protect me from people with vendettas and bad intentions towards him,'' she explained, ''but he made it sound like it was just pissed off protestors and crusaders, not…'' she swallowed heavily and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. ''Why would Gale Vincent want to use me against my dad when they're working together? Isn't that what's caused all this shit in the first place?''

Raph sighed. ''Look, I gotta tell ya somethin'…''

He regaled her with the events of the last two days, stumbling a little over his words as Rori's face slowly began to bore a mask of distrust and bemused hurt.

''We were gonna try and get into Vincent's buildin' but the place was absolutely crawlin' with security, more than enough to convince us for sure that somethin' weird is definitely goin' on in there. We were headin' back to the lair when we found you four in the alley.''

''Wow…'' Rori said slowly, bobbing her head in an agitated nod. ''Good thing you were out snooping around and investigating my dad like he's some sort of criminal, otherwise who knows what the bloody hell would have happened!''

Raphael glared at her. ''Don't give me that shit,'' he snarled and pointed a finger at her, ''you've been thinkin' the exact same thin' an' you know it, so don't act like I'm some sort of asshole vigilante lookin' for some action when I'm just tryin' to do what's best!''

''That's not the point!'' Rori snapped at him. ''You went and did that behind my back, you didn't even tell me what you were planning. What were you gonna do, wait until this all hit the fan, wait until he was arrested or hung out to dry by the press?!''

''You've been condemnin' him all along so why you're suddenly actin' like you think he's so innocent, I don't know, because whatever the fuck is goin' on, it's enough that you're gonna get dragged into it an' I ain't gonna let that happen!''

A silence fell between them then, their seething glares and bared teeth slowly falling away to reveal expressions of frustration and trepidation. Rori's eyes moved to where the sun was now beginning to breach the horizon and mashed her lips together, struggling against the tears that were aching to break out of her.

''You gotta know that I would do anythin' to keep you safe.''

Rori clenched her teeth against the ache that formed in her chest at his words.

''I know you would,'' she said in a tight voice, ''but I just didn't think you would ever have to protect me from anything, especially my own family.''

''We don't know how far this goes,'' Raph said carefully. ''Your dad might not have any idea 'bout this.''

''Even if he doesn't, this has happened because of something that he's done,'' Rori replied, sniffing wetly. ''Raph…if you hadn't been there tonight, I don't even want to think about what would have happened, especially to my friends. I could never live with myself knowing that something bad had happened to them because of me.''

''Hey, none of this is your fault, ya hear me?'' Raph growled. ''You ain't got a damn thin' to blame yourself for.''

''Raph, I'm in danger which means my friends could be in danger too and I-I d-don't know w-what to do!'' Unable to hold it in any longer, Rori's face crumpled and she finally erupted into tears, bringing her hands up to her face and weeping quietly into them. She wasn't a crier; she was an expert in taking deep breaths and pasting happy smiles on her face instead so it was no surprise that Raphael took on a stance similar to a deer caught in headlights at the sound of her sobs. After the smallest hesitation, he let instinct take over and carefully folded his arms back around her, pressing a hand to her hair and stroking it gently whilst staring broodingly out towards the rising sun. The last time he had truly seen her like this had been shortly after her mother had passed away, and even then he had felt awkward and unsure to begin with but eventually, like now, his natural role as a protector overcame any doubts he had about his ability to do the right thing and he found it surprisingly easily to hold her to him, to softly run his fingers through her hair and regulate his breathing in an attempt to soothe hers as she sobbed into him.

All this time, all the years that he'd strived to keep her safe, to keep her free from the insane antics of others that continuously plunged his family into situations full of danger, free from the mad events that had their lives flashing before their eyes more than it ever should, only to have all his efforts rendered meaningless in next to no time at all. He couldn't explain to Leo why he had almost killed Kingsley, that what they had stumbled upon in the alley had something to do with Vincent, or why he had reduced the man to a mess of hot blood and broken bones on the floor of the alley, not without giving everything away. Simply saying that he hated seeing women being threatened by violent thugs hadn't completely assuaged his older brother's suspicions, but it would have to do for now, until he was ready to divulge the truth which, at this point, seemed likely to come out much sooner than he was prepared for. Right now, he had bigger problems to deal with, like how and why this had all happened, why Vincent would want to use Rori as a weapon against her own father and, although he vehemently hoped it wasn't the case, if Max was aware of Vincent's actions. Even if he wasn't, the man was so heavily involved with Vincent that it was all becoming a dark, sticky mess of corruption so deep and convoluted that Raphael was beginning to wonder where it all began and ended.

As the first true beam of sunlight streaked across the sky and drenched the rooftop in a burning light, Raph gently tilted Rori's head back and looked down into her face, his amber gaze staring so intently at her that he almost looked angry. As she looked back up at him, words suddenly failed him and his mouth became dry as the sunlight danced across her face, highlighting the golden flecks in her eyes and the sparkle of the tears still clinging to her eyelashes.

'_Christ, she's beautiful,'' _Raphael thought, somewhat dumbstruck by the way her ebony hair shone in the light. It wasn't a revelation, and yet somehow it was, for he had always known that she was beautiful but it had never affected him like this before, never stolen his breath and sent butterflies racing inside his stomach. His thumb reflexively smudged a tear away from her cheek and he felt his heart stop as she leaned into his hand, offering him a weary smile.

''I promise ya,'' he all but whispered, ''I'm gonna find out what the hell is goin' on an' I will not let anythin' happen to you, or your friends, I swear.''

Rori's eyes looked back at him doubtfully. ''How?''

Raphael shrugged. ''I don't know yet, but I'll figure somethin' out.''

He became aware that he was still holding her closely, that his face was only mere inches from her own and he hurriedly dropped his arms and stepped back, ducking his head and rubbing the back of it awkwardly. He didn't see the blush form on Rori's cheeks or the slightly disappointed tilt of her mouth as he moved away from her.

''You should head back inside an' get some rest.''

''What am I supposed to do after that? My friends are going to want to talk about it, my dad…'' Rori trailed off, raking a hand through her hair. ''What do I do?''

''Act normal but don't go anywhere alone if you can help it. Get a taxi everywhere, have your friends stay over for the week, be cautious. Hell, try an' get a few days off work, you're damn well entitled to some. My bros an' I ain't gonna let this thin' with Vincent drop so I'll let ya know if we find out any more information. As for your dad, don't say anythin' to him, wait an' see if he contacts you.'' Raph instructed.

''You know,'' Rori said after a moment, a ghost of a smile appearing on her lips, ''when I pictured meeting your brothers for the first time, that definitely wasn't what I had in mind.''

Raph snorted out a laugh. ''Same.''

Rori giggled weakly before her face fell serious once again. ''Raph…my dad…what if-''

''Like I said, he might not know anythin' or be involved at all, so no point in draggin' him into it if that's the case when it'll just cause more problems.''

Rori looked at him gravely. ''And if he is?''

''I told ya, I'll do whatever it takes to keep ya safe.''

* * *

In the obscenely large office on the top floor of the ChemLab building, Gale Vincent took a long drag of his cigarette and held the resulting smoke at the back of his throat for at least a minute, releasing it in a slow and controlled line. His eyes gazed out onto the city beyond the window, cold and calculating in their scrutiny of the familiar backdrop.

''Gentleman, tell me something. When you look out upon New York City, when you think about this magnificent concrete jungle, what do you see?''

The gaggle of men standing on the other side of his desk, a pathetic huddle of bloodied and smashed bodies, glanced uncertainly at one another and at the back of the imposing man in front of them, unable to really comprehend a correct answer between them.

''Come, now, gentleman! One of you must surely have an answer?''

Bullard cleared his throat wetly after a moment. ''Sir, I'm sorry but…Kingsley…he's in a really bad way and-''

''Kingsley will receive my attention when one of you produces an answer to my question.''

Desperation seemed to take over the group of men and they began to shout out random answers.

''Home!''

''Buildings!''

''The Empire State Building!''

''Hot women!''

Bullard glared at the rat-faced man standing directly beside him who shrank into his leather jacket, clearly regretting his answer. The huddle of men jumped as one as Vincent chucked loudly, letting out another puff of smoke before he turned to regard them with a bright grin.

''Such answers I expected from you, gentlemen, and of course you are correct in your observations.'' He stubbed out the cigarette in a glass ashtray on his desk. ''However, you are forgetting one very obvious answer, one that I was so hoping one of you could conjure up in your pathetic little minds. You are all forgetting that this city is MINE!''

He bellowed out the last word so loudly that two of the men yelped in surprise while the others startled and automatically gripped one another in their fright, staring at the now livid Vincent in befuddled fear.

''Every single building, sidewalk, business, every single person and their wretched little existences belongs to me and soon, once Operation Lazarus is complete, everyone in this city will know it, and after that the entire world will know it!'' His mouth curled into a dangerous sneer as he stepped out from behind his desk, striding towards a disturbed Bullard and his trembling cohorts. ''However, that particular outcome cannot be achieved if my plans and instructions are not adhered to.''

Bullard swallowed as Vincent looked him dead in the eye with a cold glare.

''I thought sending nine of you to deal with a young woman and possibly a few of her friends was simply a cautious action on my behalf,'' Vincent sneered in a poisonous tone, ''but clearly I was wrong. Failing to obtain Jones' daughter is something I never anticipated, nor did I expect some of my best men to return with a barely alive man and a pitiful tale about being attacked by four abnormal looking beings trained in hand to hand combat!''

Bullard flinched as spittle landed on his chin. ''But sir,'' he began, ''it's all true! We were doing fine until these freaks showed up and-''

''ENOUGH! I WILL NOT TOLERATE FAILURE!'' Vincent shouted, his thin face turning a horrible shade of puce. ''Thanks to your spectacular incompetence, you have succeeded in delaying the whole thing! Until we have her in our possession, we cannot continue with the project without resorting to drastic and unnecessary measures that will attract unwanted attention.''

He leaned forward until he was almost nose to nose with Bullard.

''You have one more chance to find her and bring her to me. Otherwise, I can promise you that things will not end well for you.''

Bullard nodded frantically, already stumbling over his feet as the group of men scrambled for the door. As he made to exit the room, he turned back to look at Vincent who was walking back towards the window.

''Sir…about Kingsley…''

Vincent paused before reaching out to push a button on the telephone pad upon his desk.

''Mr Grey?''

''Yes, sir?'' a reedy voice replied through the speaker.

''Have Kingsley brought down to the lab…'' He twisted his head to give a horrified Bullard a positively evil grin. ''I think we've found our next volunteer.''

* * *

_So, I realise that the gang didn't really react in the usual terrified, confused manner that most people do when they first clap eyes on the turtles but I figured that they wouldn't do that given the circumstances but I still hope that their reactions and the entire scene, for that matter, is believable enough to be enjoyed. Also, I'm hoping that the relationship between Raph and Rori has enough plausibility behind it in terms of emotion, personality quirks and the friendship dynamic between then-they are not going to just suddenly declare their undying love for one another, I can promise you that. _

_Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next installment should be up in the next week or so, although I am quite busy with work and general Christmas stuff at the moment but I'll do my best :D Any comments or reviews are much appreciated of course, thanks for reading! _


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello, friends! Hope you're all well and enjoying the festive season! Here's the next chapter; it was a pain in the bum to finish and, unfortunately, does not really move it too far forward in terms of plot. However, that will change again as the stage has now been set for things to pretty much hit the fan in the upcoming chapters. Unfortunately, due to the Christmas season and the fact that I'm starting a new course in the first week of January, updates may be a bit slower than they have been but hopefully not by much, so please bear with me! Bloody typical that things get busy when all I want to do is write! _

_Anyway, as always, please excuse any errors, grammatical or otherwise. I'll admit that I was really desperate to get this done by today as I'll be at my parents til sunday and won't have time to even get near my laptop so I'm sorry if it's a bit sloppy. Massive thanks to those who have been reading and even bigger thanks to those who reviewed, followed and faved the story. Reviews are always appreciated :) Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: Only OC'S are mine. _

* * *

When his sons turned eighteen, Splinter had sat them down and informed them that he had taught them everything he could and that, seeing as they were now beyond the time of being considered children, he would be relinquishing all training and instruction responsibilities completely to Leonardo. It was a decision that he had ruminated over for a long time, feeling that it was the equivalent of his children leaving the nest in a way, but he knew he couldn't instruct them and influence their choices forever. For the most part he was satisfied with his decision and extremely impressed by Leonardo's continued dedication and manner of leadership. However, he did not completely approve of the fact that Sunday was now considered a day of rest within their household, a decision Leonardo had been outvoted on, especially when it resulted in him entering the kitchen in the morning to find Michelangelo sprawled across the table in a deep sleep, holding a half-eaten slice of cold pizza.

''Shhhh…you'll wake the baby…'' Mikey mumbled, slurping up the dribble oozing from his mouth.

Splinter shook his head at his youngest, his whiskers twitching with concealed amusement. The sound of soft snoring alerted him to the main area of the lair where Donatello was propped up in one of the recliners while Leonardo took up almost the entire length of the couch. Unable to comprehend just what had resulted in his sons choosing to rest where they did, Splinter moved towards the kettle to prepare himself some tea. As he opened a cupboard to select a cup, the sound of the main door opening and closing drew his attention to the fuming redhead storming into the lair.

''Miss O'Neil,'' Splinter said pleasantly, greeting her with a small bow. ''What brings you to our home so early?''

April didn't reply but graced him with a somewhat apologetic smile before she marched towards the couch and glared down at Leonardo's slumbering form. As though he was aware that he was being looked at, his eyes twitched and opened to stare up directly into April's livid face.

''Ahhh…Good morning, April…'' he said tentatively, not moving a muscle although it was clear he felt vulnerable in his current position.

''Just what the hell do you think you're doing?''

''Sleeping?'' Leo replied, his mask crinkling between his eyes.

''Just where do you get off leaving me a message telling me that I can no longer work on the ChemLab story 'for my own safety'?'' she hissed, quirking her fingers in the air quote motion. ''Do you have any idea how much trouble this will cause with my boss if I tell him I no longer want to cover the story?''

Leo sighed and eased himself into a sitting position. Before he could reply, the kettle clicked loudly to signal that the water was done. Without warning, Mikey suddenly bolted upright with a loud cry of ''SHELLEY!'' which caused Donatello to jerk awake in surprise, arms flailing wildly. Splinter surveyed his youngest sons for a moment, not saying a word, before turning to pour the boiled water into his cup. Mikey smacked his lips together a couple of times before offering them all a sheepish grin, which Donatello returned with a bemused blinking of his eyes.

''What the-Oh, hey, April,'' Donnie said blearily, adjusting his twisted mask. ''What are you doing here?''

April placed her hands on her hips and glared impatiently at Leo. ''Ask your big brother.''

Understanding immediately flooded Donatello's face. ''I'm guessing this is about the ChemLab story?''

''There is no way I'm coming off that story,'' April insisted, her face defiant.

Leo sighed. ''April, I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't think it was necessary. We're concerned for your safety.''

''What exactly are you so afraid of?''

''You should know better than anyone the dangers of getting involved too deep.'' Leo said pointedly, his cool eyes locking with hers. ''I seem to remember you lying unconscious on this very couch after Raphael saved you from the consequences of a similar problem many years ago.''

''That was different,'' April scoffed.

''How, exactly?'' Donnie asked, his head tilted enquiringly.

''Because Gale Vincent isn't some tin plated lunatic with a trained army!'' April snapped, throwing her arms up in the air in frustration.

''That doesn't make him any less dangerous,'' Donnie said gently. ''Even you have to admit that he came off quite sinister in your interview with him.''

''Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm in danger! I'm not exactly the first person to report on any suspicious activity by ChemLab.''

''Maybe not, but you're definitely the most tenacious and intelligent.''

April's glowering face unclenched ever so slightly at Leo's words but her posture remained rigid. ''If this whole thing is so dangerous, then what were you guys doing trying to get into the ChemLab building last night?''

Splinter, having remained deliberately silent throughout the conversation, lowered his cup with a frown.

''How did you know about that?'' Leo asked.

Mikey's face suddenly paled and he began to look around the room, eyes purposefully avoiding Leonardo's seething glare. Donatello flopped back into his chair with a sigh, rubbing his eyes tiredly. April's eyes flickered to a spot behind Leo's head for a brief second. Seeing the movement, he swivelled in his seat to look over into the kitchen.

''Mikey,'' Leo growled, causing the youngest turtle to sink low into his chair.

''My son,'' Splinter said firmly as Leo opened his mouth to scold his brother. ''Perhaps it would be best if you explain these…recent developments in more detail. Then, Miss O'Neil might not feel as wrathful as she does so at the moment.''

Leo turned his gaze back to April who folded her arms with an irritated huff. With a groan, Leo palmed his face and flopped back into the cushions behind him.

''It started the other evening when we saw April's news report…''

* * *

_Raph shivered on the spot, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around himself for a little more warmth. The evening air was full of a wet and cold air that had him tucking his head down into his shell for protection. He'd lost the scarf that Master Splinter had given to him a few weeks ago and had yet to find a replacement. He'd give anything for a little cover against the chilly breeze that whipped around him. Upon the fire escape that he stood on, he was concealed enough from the streetlights and hidden away from any prying eyes. He'd only spared a glance out at the vast city when he had scaled the side of the building, completely drawn in by the light emanating out of the nearby bedroom window. He stood just off to the side, pressed completely against the brick wall, and peered into the room. It was huge; bigger than all of the bedrooms in the lair combined. It was full of toys and books and there was even a bed that had curtains hanging around it! The only curtains he'd ever seen had been used in place of blankets until Master Splinter had found some proper bedding. _

''_Wow…'' he breathed, unable to stop himself from leaning in closer towards the window. The room was decorated tastefully with a pale blue and white colour scheme with a collection of movie posters plastered on the walls. There was a big television surrounded by stacks of movies and a pair of roller skates propped up by the door. Hungrily, Raphael pressed himself fully against the glass, his hands leaving marks as they pawed in curiosity at the treasures within. _

_He didn't see the shadow fall across the carpet on the other side and let out a startled yell as Rori appeared in front of the window. She seemed equally as shocked to see him there and they simply gaped at each other for a few seconds. Then, she grinned with bright excitement and quickly flung the window open. _

''_Hi!'' she greeted, waving at him even though he was only mere inches in front of her._

''_Ahhh…hey,'' he replied, staring at his feet awkwardly._

''_I was starting to think you were never going to come over.''_

_Raph didn't reply. Truthfully, he'd spend the last two weeks struggling horribly with indecision, unable to make up his mind about whether to see her or not. It was a stupid, insane and idiotic idea to even consider the possibility that he could ever be friends with a human and yet, he'd been unable to hardly think of anything else since their first meeting. _

''_You want to come in? You must be freezing!''_

_Raphael lifted his head to look past her into the inviting room. He swallowed, unable to fight the pull of curiosity that tugged at him, and gave a curt nod. With a smile, Rori moved back to allow him access and quickly closed the window after he hopped through. The pale carpet was plush beneath his feet, softer than anything he had ever felt in his life. He dug his toes in experimentally, goosebumps breaking out on his arms at the fluffy texture. He jerked his head to look at Rori as she came to stand beside him, peering at him shyly. _

''_Do you want a drink or anything?''_

_He shook his head, eyes sliding warily to the bedroom door. Rori followed his gaze and smiled reassuringly. _

''_Don't worry. Nobody will know you're here.''_

''_I can hide if anybody comes,'' he said brusquely, quickly noting the large space beneath the bed as a potential spot to conceal himself. His eyes scanned the room again, widening in their curiosity. He took a few more steps forward into the heart of the room, turning slowly to take everything in. There was just so much stuff, more than he had ever seen in just one room. There were two beanbags sitting beside a low table in the right corner along with a guitar resting on a stand. Against the left wall was a vanity desk littered with pens, papers and more books opened at various pages. At the foot of the bed there was a huge trunk that was opened to reveal an overflow of costumes and a selection of shoes that he recognised as the ones that dancers wore. _

''_You do that fancy dancin' stuff?'' he asked gruffly, his eyes still wandering the room._

''_Ballet,'' Rori said with a soft quality to her voice. ''It's kinda lame.''_

_Raph looked at her. ''I'm being trained in the ways of the ninja.''_

''_Really?'' Rori breathed, her eyes wide with awe. ''Wow, that's so cool! Like in the movies?''_

_Raph couldn't help but scoff. He'd seen one or two of those sorts of movies, blurry and fuzzy on the cheap television set back at the lair, and they were just full of bad actors pretending to hit each other after doing a flip through the air. _

''_Those guys aren't real ninjas. Anyone can pretend to hit someone, there's a lot more to it than that.''_

''_Like what?''_

_He was taken aback at her genuine interest. ''Well…like bein' able to focus your mind, discipline, how to read your opponent, how to fight with honour…'' he trailed off, uncomfortable with the way Rori was looking at him._

''_Wow…you can do all of that?''_

''_I guess…still learnin', really,'' he said._

''_I wish I could do all of that…Ballet doesn't have anything cool.''_

''_Ballet's the one where you stand on your toes an' do all those twirls, right?''_

''_You mean like this?''_

_Raph couldn't deny he was impressed as Rori rose onto the tips of her toes and held her position without a mere wobble. She then spun on the spot and hopped forward, legs elongated and arms up above her head. She whirled to face him and lowered herself onto the balls of her feet with an embarrassed shrug. _

''_It's not as cool as being a ninja.''_

''_Dunno, the spinnin' around thing might not be but the standin' on your toes without fallin' over is pretty cool.''_

''_Really?'' Rori said with a beaming grin before blushing a bright red. _

_Raph nodded before ducking his head, once again overcome by what he knew to be shyness, something he had little experience with. It was hard to ever feel shy when you saw the same faces every day, lived and breathed in the same space as the same people every day and night. Even if someone accidentally walked into the bathroom when it was occupied, he was more inclined to get angry than feel shy. Being around Rori, being in her bedroom full of so many things, had him feeling self-conscious but not in the way he expected. She was interested in him, genuinely interested without focusing on the fact that he wasn't human. He covertly slid his eyes up to study her again. She wasn't what he had expected of a human girl; the ones on the tv were always pink and frilly and liked to play stupid games. She was a petite bundle of messy hair and scruffy jeans and seemed to possess a somewhat bold nature, given the fact that she was so keen to be friends with him. He'd always imagined girls to be annoying and silly and nowhere near this interesting._

''_Do you like books?''_

''_Huh?'' he said dumbly, coming back into focus._

_Rori giggled. ''I said, do you like books?''_

''_Oh.'' Books were something of a weak point for him; out of the four brothers, Raphael was the one who struggled with reading the most. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the stories because he did, especially the ones that had brave heroes and daring adventures although Splinter never found many of those, it was just that the words couldn't seem to come out of his mouth properly. Donatello made it look so easy with the way he pronounced the big words effortlessly but Raph could barely get past the small ones without sometimes fumbling like a moron. Inevitably, he would become angry and frustrated over the whole thing which only delayed his progress even further, thus resulting in a vicious cycle that even Splinter couldn't seem to break._

_Thankfully, or perhaps not, he didn't have time to answer as he was alerted to the sound of approaching footsteps._

''_Someone's comin'!'' he hissed, causing panic to break out on Rori's face. He moved quickly and vaulted himself under the bed, muffling a moan as he knocked an elbow against one of the wooden legs. He watched Rori's feet dance indecisively on the carpet before she hurried towards the bed and hopped up onto it, making it creak above his head. _

''_Honey,'' a lady's voice said pleasantly as the door opened, ''are you alright up here?''_

''_I'm fine, mum.'' Rori said in a voice too high with false casualness. _

''_Are you sure?'' Rori's mum approached the bed and Raph slid back slightly as her jean-covered legs came into view. ''You were really quiet at dinner again. Those kids aren't still bothering you at school, are they?''_

''_No, mum.'' Rori's voice replied softly and Raph instantly knew that she was lying. ''I'm just tired, that's all.''_

_There was a sigh and the sound of a kiss being pressed to skin. ''Alright, sweetheart, if you say so. But you know that you can talk to me if anything's bothering you, right?''_

''_I know.''_

''_You're making friends though, right?''_

''_I've…made a friend,'' Rori said slowly._

''_Really? Well, that's great! What's she like?''_

''_It's not a she. He's…nice, really cool and interesting.''_

_Raphael felt his cheeks begin to burn and he frowned at himself for reacting in such a way, but he couldn't really help it. The last person to think he was 'cool' was Mikey, and that had been when they were about eight years old and Raph had performed a very complicated series of backflips without a single mistake. He felt a strange warmth in his chest that he couldn't quite identify._

''_Wonderful!'' Rori's mum replied, relief evident in her voice. ''When will your father and I get to meet this cool and interesting friend of yours?''_

''_Erm…I don't know, he's quite shy.'' _

''_What's his name?''_

''_Raphael.'' Rori said, her voice soft. _

''_Well, you be sure to tell Raphael that he's welcome here anytime.''_

''_Okay…I will.''_

_The bed sheets rustled above him and the legs began to move away. ''Okay, honey, well I'll see you in the morning. Don't stay up too late.''_

''_I won't. Night, mum.''_

''_Goodnight, sweetheart.''_

_Raph waited in his hiding place for a few long seconds after the bedroom door closed before sliding out. _

''_Why did you lie?'' he asked as he stood up._

''_What do you mean?'' Rori said as she jumped down from the bed._

''_To your mom. You lied 'bout those kids pickin' on you.''_

_Rori fiddled with her hair. ''I don't know…I don't want her to worry, I guess.''_

''_Sounds like she's already worried.''_

''_I don't care if those kids at school like me,'' Rori said somewhat moodily, folding her arms. ''You like me, don't you?''_

''_Yeah!'' Raph blurted out before he could stop himself._

_Rori smiled prettily at him, her face lighting up. Raph found himself returning her smile with a small one of his own before he had to look away, uncomfortable with just how much this girl seemed to be affecting him. _

''_What did you mean earlier when you said you weren't so good at reading?''_

''_That I find it…hard.'' Raph mumbled, crossing his arms defensively. _

''_I could help you…if you want?''_

_Raph gave a small shrug. ''Don't know what good it'll do.''_

''_We just need to find something really good for you to get into.'' _

_Rori hurried to her overflowing bookcase, quickly ran her hands over the hundreds of spines before going over to look at the piles on her desk, reverently moving them aside in her search. She plucked a colourful hardback book out of the collection and rushed back over to Raphael to show him._

''_I think this will be a good place to start. My Uncle Jerry used to read this to me when I was really little and it's one of my favourites.''_

_Raph reached out and ran his fingers over the cover. ''The…H-Ho-Hobbit,'' he sounded out, looking up at Rori for confirmation. She nodded happily back at him and then took hold of his arm to lead him towards the beanbags in the corner._

''_Why do you like books so much?'' Raph asked curiously as he settled into the left beanbag._

''_I guess…because they take me places I would never get to go, meet awesome and wonderful people…I get to go on adventures without having to leave my bedroom.''_

''_Wouldn't you rather go on the adventures yourself?''_

''_Well, sure,'' Rori said with a bemused smile as she settled down beside him. ''But unless there really is a school for witches and wizards somewhere, that sort of thing isn't going to happen so books are the next best thing, I think. It always feels so…real, at least to me, that I just can't stop wanting more.'' She opened the book with a small sigh. ''When you don't have many friends…the stories just seem much better than real life sometimes.''_

_For someone who spent their whole life dreaming of being anywhere but where he was, of being able to be with exciting people doing exciting things, Raphael found that he could appreciate what she was saying. All he knew about the human world came from what Splinter had taught him or what he had seen on the television, which was actually more confusing than informative. He'd always thought that humans could simply do whatever they wanted, be whatever they wanted and go wherever they pleased but it seemed as though that wasn't always the case. He'd never pictured any human yearning for more than the simple freedom that they already had, but here was a young human girl seeking more, seeking a different kind of freedom that he had never considered before._

_He'd always assumed that above his home was a world full of people that would hate him, spurn him and want to do him harm and in most ways he knew he was right, and yet here was Rori, the sole contradiction to the teachings and way of life that he had been following since the day he was mutated. A small, ordinary in theory but not so ordinary in practice, little girl that wanted to have nothing more than a friend and, out of all the humans in the world, she had chosen him. A walking, talking, mutant turtle that found himself so entranced by her that he couldn't stop staring at her as she tilted the book for him to see._

''_Let's start here…''_

_He looked at the first word that her finger was resting beside and swallowed, trying to quash the automatic feeling of frustration that was already rising up inside him. _

''_In a…hole in the g-gr…'' he read, frowning at the word that his tongue couldn't work out from his mouth._

''_Ground,'' Rori sounded out carefully, her finger tracing the word. _

''_Ground,'' he repeated, ''there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, d-dir-dirty wet hole fi-filled with the ends of worms…''_

_It took them a while to get through the first few pages but not once did Raphael lose his temper. Why, he wasn't sure, but he figured that it had something to do with Rori's encouraging presence, the way she allowed him to try the words out before offering her help promptly so he wouldn't struggle for too long. It was something different from Splinter's support; perhaps because this time it was solely about him and he wasn't distracted by the fact that his brothers were miles ahead than he was. Whatever the reason, he found himself enjoying the book, especially when Rori offered to read to him for a little while while he lazed in the beanbag, enraptured by her voice and the story. It was only when Rori let out a huge yawn that Raph fell back into true reality. _

''_What time is it?!'' he demanded of her, leaping to his feet._

'_Nearly half nine,'' Rori said with a glance to her watch. ''Do you need to get home?''_

''_Aw, man! Splinter is gonna have my shell! I only meant to be gone for an hour!''_

_Rori followed him as he rushed to the window and flung it open, letting in the chilly wind. ''Wait! You're gonna come back soon, right?''_

''_If I survive tonight,'' he quipped, slipping out of the room._

''_Is that a yes?!'' Rori demanded, poking her head out after him. _

_He turned to look at her and flashed her a grin, the biggest one yet, and she immediately responded in kind. _

''_See ya soon.'' _

_And with that, he was gone._

* * *

The sound of distant voices arguing drew Raphael reluctantly from the world of sleep. He growled into his pillow and rotated onto his side, sending his hammock into a slow swing that almost lulled him straight back to sleep. However, as the voices began to grow louder in their disagreement, his drowsiness morphed into frustration that jolted him completely awake. He slipped out of his hammock and stormed out into the hallway, not even bothering to stop and put on his mask.

''Can't we just try and find a way to make it so the guy gets arrested?'' Mikey's bored voice floated up from the lower level.

''Oh, brilliant idea, Mikey!'' came Donnie's scathing reply. ''And how do you suggest we do that?''

''This is ridiculous!'' April snapped. ''If you'd just let me help-''

''No way.'' Leo's voice, calm and commanding, cut across her.

As the bickering continued, Raphael reached the railings and leapt over them, hitting the floor in a purposefully loud landing. Everyone stopped and turned to look at him as he glared at them.

''What the hell is everyone shoutin' for? In case ya hadn't noticed, some of us are tryin' to sleep!''

The occupants of the kitchen immediately launched into different explanations, gesturing at each other and screwing their faces up in frustration. Splinter, on the other hand, simply sat in the middle of the hubbub with his eyes closed and his ears twitching with supressed exasperation. Raphael rolled his eyes and bellowed 'SHUT UP!' so loudly that Mikey's chair tipped back dangerously for a brief moment. Satisfied, Raphael stalked into the kitchen and slammed his hands onto the table.

''Is this about the damn Vincent thing?''

''I don't care what any of you say, I am not coming off this story. Believe it or not, I can help you guys with this. I'm not the fragile little human that you all like to think I am, I can be useful, I can-''

''April, it's just too dangerous!'' Leo said, prompting April to grip the back of Mikey's chair in an attempt to restrain herself.

''Would you just stop being so high and mighty and listen to me?!''

''Knock it off!'' Raphael snapped. ''April, you ain't gotta stop doin' your job, alright?''

''Raphael, we can't let her put herself in danger just for the sake of a news story!''

''That's part of what bein' a news reporter is in this city! One got shot at the other week an' he was back on the air within twenty four hours!''

''And you want that sort of thing to happen to April, is that it?''

''As much as I agree with Leo's reasoning,'' Donnie chimed in, holding up his hands to placate his brothers before things got too nasty, ''I have to say that I agree more with Raph on this one.''

''You can't be serious,'' Leo deadpanned while Splinter's eyes opened with interest.

''As it stands, I think we can safely assume that all these rumours about Vincent are true in one sense or another. We don't know enough yet and nor will we without gaining access to the ChemLab building. If April was able to get another interview with Vincent within his building, we could gather more information.''

''How?'' Mikey asked, resting his chin onto his arms. ''You planning on bugging April or something?''

''Well,'' Donnie shrugged, ''no, I wasn't but that's not a bad idea.''

''This is insane,'' Leo said, voice quiet with disbelief. ''I can't believe you want to let our friend risk our life like this.''

''Leonardo,'' Splinter said in his calm voice, ''I do not believe that anybody is saying anything of the kind. I am sure that Donatello has an idea to ensure that Miss O'Neil remain safe in this endeavour.''

He looked over to Donnie who nodded. ''Of course! We'll be nearby, we can remain in contact the entire time. I can make it so she's fitted with equipment that allows us to see and hear what she does.''

''And if something goes wrong? We couldn't get in last time so how do you propose we rescue April should we need to?''

''What makes you think I'll need rescuing anyway?'' April demanded with a raised brow.

Leo kneaded the space between his eyes and Mikey chuckled. ''If anything, those guys in that building will need rescuing if they end up pissing you off.''

April swatted him playfully on the shoulder. Raphael lent back against the fridge, frowning in thought. While it was the only decent idea they had to send April in, he did have to acknowledge the fact that Leo's concerns were warranted. Given what they had seen last night, Vincent wasn't exactly lacking in man power nor was he a stupid man; the whole idea had complicated and risky written all over it.

''How easily can you arrange an interview with him?'' Raphael asked.

April shrugged. ''Pretty easily, especially if the request comes from my boss personally. He's a hard guy to say no to.''

''Okay, so say April gets in and gets her interview. Then what?'' Leo demanded. ''He's hardly going to give away any deep, dark secrets on camera.''

''Of course not,'' April said with a snort, ''but if we go with the whole bugging idea I might be able to get some information that he would want to keep off record.''

Leo shook his head. ''This is absolutely insane. I can't believe you are really entertaining this idea-even with a cameraman you will be putting yourself in danger by going in there.''

''I have a question,'' Mikey said with a raised hand. ''Actually it was Leo's question but you know. In the very unlikely event that April needs help, how are we gonna be able to do that when we can't get into the building? You gonna disguise us as camera equipment or something?''

Raphael looked up at April who met his eyes and matched his smirk with a wide grin. ''Reckon Casey will fancy hidin' in the back of your news van for a night?''

''Oh, trust me, he owes me a big favour after the whole gum in the hair incident.''

Leonardo glared at them all before moving away from Splinter's placating hand on his shoulder, storming off into the dojo with a rigid pace. Everyone watched him go, unsure of how to react to the disapproving attitude of their leader. Since Splinter had passed on all responsibility to him, Leonardo had become a lot stricter and harder on himself when it came to disagreements within the family. If he was outvoted or his judgement was questioned, he took it as a sign of failure as a leader and would sink into a pensive silence until one of them found a way to pull him out of it. Raphael knew, much as he hated to admit it, that Splinter had made the right decision when he placed Leo completely in charge; he just wished his big brother thought the same.

''I think your hair looks great, April,'' Mikey's playful flirtation broke the tense silence.

''Oh, thank you, Mikey.'' April ran a hand through her locks. ''I went to a different place this time, I think it was called _Tricks _or _Flicks _or something…Anyway, the stylist who saved me was just fantastic.'' She gave Mikey a teasing grin. ''She had a bit of a British accent too.''

''Oooo,'' Mikey wriggled in his seat. ''I do love a British accent!''

Raphael found that he couldn't move. His entire body had frozen and his blood had seemingly turned to ice at April's words. _Tricks _was the salon that Rori worked at and he knew for a fact that she was the only one there with a British accent, which meant that she had cut April's hair, which meant that they had interacted. April would have regaled Rori with the tale of Casey and the chewing gum and who knows what else while Rori nodded along, unable to do anything but smile and cut the woman's hair. The idea that two different parts of his life had collided in such an unforeseen yet not impossible way was disturbing for him to say the least and he suddenly felt quite sick.

''Raph? Raph! Are you listening?''

''Huh?'' Raphael jerked his head up to meet the confused stares that were currently upon him. ''What did ya say?''

Donnie rolled his eyes. ''I think you need more sleep, brother. You're looking a paler shade of green than usual.''

''I'm fine,'' Raphael snapped, swallowing against the sudden flood of saliva in his mouth. ''So are we gonna do this thing or what?''

''I'll need to get some equipment ready,'' Donnie replied.

''And I need to speak to my boss,'' April added. ''I'm heading in after I'm done here so I'll keep you guys updated. It shouldn't take much convincing though. Like I said before, he's pretty eager.''

''My sons, Miss O'Neil,'' Splinter said softly, drawing all attention onto him. ''While I have every faith in your planning and capabilities, both separately and together, I feel that Leonardo is also justified in his concerns.'' He regarded them with a somewhat grave expression. ''Be cautious and wary, my sons, for I feel that this Gale Vincent may be more dangerous than you think.''

* * *

''_Hi, you've reached Max Jones. I'm not available at the moment so please leave a mes-''_

Rori cut off the call for the tenth time and chucked her phone carelessly onto the kitchen counter with a groan of frustration. Her head throbbed fiercely and she raised her fingers to her forehead, pressing firmly against the ache. She'd awoken not that long ago, amazed to find that it was the middle of the afternoon. Convinced that she would find her living room empty, she'd been surprised to find that her friends were still sleeping on the couch, disheveled and snoring. Just like before, it had taken all of her strength to not divulge anything to them, to convince them that they were simply unlucky and that in a city as big as New York, the chances of finding the ones that attacked them were slim to none. They had been suspicious of course, having heard small snippets of what Kingsley had said to her but nothing to make them question her too much. Unsurprisingly, they seemed more interested about the ones that had saved them.

''They must be the same guys that took on that creepy metal dude a few years back!'' Dexter had correctly surmised, his beaten face alive with excitement. ''The ones that are always on the news!''

Rori had agreed, knowing it would be unwise to do otherwise as it would probably lead to more questions and more flaky explanations on her part. Raphael and his brothers, while mostly unseen, were incredibly well known in the city and had been since they were teenagers. There was too many lies in her life, or so it seemed, and she would be damned if she had to add another one to the mix. She felt her stomach roll in a way that she knew wasn't just from the alcohol. She hated lying to her friends, especially when their lives had been threatened and she was stopping them from knowing why. She had barely been able to look Dexter in his puffy eyes for the guilt was simply too much for her heart to bear. What she hated more was the fact that the two most important parts of her life had come within touching distance of each other and it had to be considered a bad thing. What she wouldn't give for her friends to know Raphael, for his brothers to know her, for there not to be danger seemingly lurking within every corner.

Her friends had eventually left, eager to return to their own homes in order to clean themselves up and, presumably, sleep the rest of the day away. Rosie, an aspiring and talented singer, was performing at a bar the following night like she usually did and they had all agreed to meet there as usual. After the recent bad luck that seemed to be hovering over nearly all parts of her life, Rori hoped that this would be the night that her friend finally got spotted by one of the talent scouts that were known to frequent the local bars in the hopes of finding the next big thing.

With a sigh, she opened the fridge and seized a bottle of water, proceeding to gulp it down in one go while her thoughts drifted back to Raphael. Her experience with guys on a romantic level was limited at best; she'd had two serious boyfriends in her life and they'd both ended up screwing her around and leaving her in a sorry state for a good few weeks. She knew what it felt like to feel lustful, to be infatuated and smitten with someone. Likewise, being close friends with Ollie and Dexter allowed her to know what it was like to have a relationship that was akin to that between a brother and sister, full of love and loyalty and ridiculous jokes. However, neither type of relationship could help her explain what she had felt with Raphael up on the roof during the early hours. She'd never known such a desperate, all consuming need to be close to someone else; the moment his arms had closed around her it felt like something had simply slotted back into place.

Even throughout their awkward teenage years when everything was changing and confusing, the only thing that she had been totally sure of was her best friend who never failed to protect her and care for her. Her mind was instantly flooded with the memory of Raphael's face upon seeing her newly acquired braces for the first time; of course he'd never seen anything like it before and had proceeded to freak out and vow to destroy the person who had inflicted such torture on her before she had explained it to him. Even back then, at the tender age of twelve, he was ready to do whatever it took to keep her safe. She'd always cared for him, wanted to be around him, to see him happy and find ways to be the cause of his happiness, but all of this was something completely new. She'd never felt anything like what she had towards him on the rooftop but she couldn't pretend that she didn't have an idea of what it meant, and the thought sent a shiver up her spine. Whether it was from excitement or fear, she couldn't be sure and she palmed her face with a groan, wondering when her life had suddenly become so strange. The fact that she only now considered it strange after sharing a friendship with a mutant turtle for the best part of thirteen only cemented that fact even more.

The sound of her phone ringing snapped her out of her troubling thoughts. She grabbed it from the counter and let out a bitter laugh at the name that appeared on the screen before she pressed the answer button.

''Nice of you to finally get back to me.''

''_I'm sorry, honey. I've been in a meeting all morning.''_

Rori frowned. ''On a Sunday?''

''_Hey, you know me, work work work!''_ Max replied with a strained laugh. _''So, what has made you finally stop being mad enough to talk to me?''_

''Oh, I don't know, I guess I just felt like I may have behaved too harshly before,'' Rori lied through gritted teeth. Raph had said for her not to call her father but she couldn't help it; she had to try and find out if he knew anything about what had happened to her.

''_Oh, well, I can understand that you were angry so don't feel too bad,'' _Max replied slowly, as though he was carefully choosing his words. _''And for what it's worth, I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to frighten you with all the things that I said.'' _He gave a weak chuckle that Rori instantly knew was fake. _''I guess I was just being overdramatic and overprotective.''_

Unexpectedly, Rori felt her eyes burning. ''So, there's nobody coming after me? Nobody wanting to snatch me up and hold me to ransom or to get some sort of revenge on you?''

''_Oh, no, honey, nothing like that!'' _Max replied too quickly. _''Like I said, I was just being overdramatic.''_

''So, all that stuff about me changing jobs, moving back home, you acting like a control freak,'' Rori said acidly, ''was you acting like an asshole just because you felt like it?''

There was a brief silence on the other end. ''_No, it wasn't and I'm sorry that I made you think otherwise. I know you think I've gone off my rocker since your mother passed away,'' _his voice shook slightly at the mention of her mother, ''_and I know I've acted a bit…extreme since then but I promise you, I was just worrying and it made me overreact.''_

''And it has nothing to do with you working for Gale Vincent?''

''_I'm not working for him, I work with him.'' _Max's voice morphed into a somewhat angry monotone. _''And no, of course it doesn't. Please just forget everything that I said the other night, or any other time when I've upset you because I know I've acted like a fool. Nothing is wrong, nobody is going to hurt you, okay?''_

He was lying. Rori knew that without a doubt and the knowledge made her feel sick to the stomach. Either he was working directly with Vincent and had somehow been involved in what had happened, or he knew about it and had no power to stop it. Her entire body turned cold and the phone slipped in her sweaty hand.

''Well, in that case, I guess I can go back to my normal routine then,'' she said deliberately, glancing nervously around the room as though expecting someone to burst out at her.

''_You sure can,'' _he said with a forced enthusiasm. ''_Carry on working hard and enjoying your life or you'll end up a miserable old sod like me.''_

A pang in her chest took the air out of her lungs and she clenched her teeth against the tears that so desperately wanted to get out. She'd always thought of her father as a good, decent man at heart who wanted nothing more than the best for her, who would do anything to love and protect her. Now, it seemed he had other intentions and she couldn't decide if her heart felt like it was breaking more out of anger or disbelief. She felt a yearning for the man who raised her, not this imposter on the other end of the phone.

''_Honey, I've got to get back to work now but have a good week, yeah? I'll call you soon and maybe we can arrange to meet up for lunch or something. We can go any place you want and order a ton of food, just like we used to. Sound good?''_

Rori could barely summon up the words to agree with him before hanging up, letting the phone drop heavily back onto the counter which she immediately latched onto, taking deep breaths. He knew; he knew and he was playing her. Fear like she had never known before curled and coiled through every part of her, wrapping around her heart in an icy grip. Forcing herself to move, she hurried around the apartment, locking windows and drawing the blinds until the place was plunged into a gloomy darkness. She made sure to grab her phone and fled into her bedroom, locking the door before jumping into bed and pulling the covers over her head. Unable to quell the panic that was choking her, she curled up into a tight ball and closed her eyes, wishing with all her might that this was all simply a bad dream.

* * *

Max Jones lowered his phone and looked down at it sadly for a moment before raising his gaze to glare at the man in front of him.

''Happy? She's not going to say anything. I'm willing to do whatever you want, but please, you have to leave Aurora out of this.''

Gale Vincent regarded Max from where he sat in his office chair. His expression was almost blank except for the small amused quirk of his mouth in the right corner.

''Your daughter is not stupid, Mr Jones. She contacted you herself to find out if you knew anything about what took place in the early hours of this morning. Clearly, she has suspicions, ones that you put into her head by warning her that she could be in danger.''

''Well, I was bloody right about that, wasn't I?!'' Max snapped, raking his hands through his hair. ''Look, I've agreed to what you want, what more use is she to you?''

Vincent's eyes flashed with manic delight. ''The only way that she could know that the men sent to retrieve her were working for me is if somebody told her. Now, I know for a fact that one of them was beaten into revealing that particular snippet of information to one of those who,'' he rolled his eyes, ''came to the aid of your daughter and her friends. Therefore, she must know her saviours quite well.''

Max frowned. ''What the hell does that have to do with anything?''

Vincent stood from his chair and moved to look out of the window. ''You remember the incident with a man called the Shredder, I take it?''

''Of course. All that insanity with T.G.R.I was in the news for weeks.'' Max said with a frown. ''The man was a lunatic, everybody knew that.''

''Indeed he was. He was also a complete moron who clearly underestimated those who went up against him.'' Vincent turned to look at him again. ''You will also recall the stories that frequented the news around that time. Stories about masked vigilantes trained in a deadly form of combat who, to this day, watch over the city and the innocent souls who inhabit it.''

Max nodded, unsure of what to say in response.

''It is said that these vigilantes are now what we would consider normal, that they are abominations, freaks of nature,'' Vincent said in a voice full of intrigue. ''Now, I can't help but wonder what possibilities we would have, what breakthroughs we might obtain if we were to see these...people, for lack of a better description, ourselves. If they are what the stories claim they are, we could achieve true greatness with our invention. If they are what I believe them to be, why, we could have something quite spectacular within our fingertips.''

''My invention...'' Max sneered, his face turning red. ''My invention is not intended for the things that you're trying to do with it. What you're doing is the definition of an abomination, not a group of weird looking people trying to protect this city from scumbags like you. You've ruined the lives of innocent people!''

''Now, let's not get into that argument again, Mr Jones.'' Vincent said levelly. ''The basic facts are this; the invention is in the final stages but I feel that with this new information, we could take it further what we ever expected. To that end, I feel that bringing your daughter here will encourage her protective friends to make another appearance.''

''You wanted to take her to get to me. Well you've got to me, you son of a bitch!'' Max shouted, walking up directly to Vincent and snarling in his face. ''I've told you that I'm willing to do anything, just leave her alone.''

Vincent smiled at him. ''Unfortunately for her, it seems that she has more use to me than simply being a mere bargaining tool.''

Without warning, his hand reached out and seized Max around the neck and with surprising strength, he hauled the man down and slammed him face down into the desk. Max gasped and struggled in the grip upon him but Vincent only tightened his hold.

''Operation Lazarus will become everything I want it to be. I've put up with your cowardly and weak ways for far too long, Jones, so let me be clear. Your machine is what we need to make this whole project a success, therefore it and you are mine to do with what I will until it is complete. Yes, it is unfortunate that your daughter proved to be as interesting as she is, but you sealed her fate yourself when you tried to undermine me.''

''I'll kill you for this, you heartless bastard.'' Max gasped, closing his eyes in pain against the sharp nails that were digging grooves into his skin. ''Are you listening? I'll kill you!''

Vincent let out a sinister little chuckle. ''You really aren't in the position to be making threats, my friend. Now, I feel that it would be best if you were to remain in a place where I can keep an eye on you for the time being. We don't want you running off now, do we?''

Without letting go of Max, Vincent bent forward and pressed the intercom button.

''Mr Grey?''

''_Yes'sir?''_

''Have Bullard gather his men and report to me immediately. Also, have someone come to collect Mr Jones. He's going to be staying with us for a while.''

''_Right away, sir.''_

Vincent released the button and grinned down at a still struggling Max. ''Don't worry. Before long, you and your darling Aurora will be reunited soon enough.''

''You're mad, you hear me?!'' Max snarled up at him, spittle flying from his mouth. ''You're fucking crazy!''

Vincent's grin became positively malevolent. ''Why, Mr Jones, you say that as though it's something to be ashamed of.''

* * *

_As some of you may notice, the scene with Rori helping Raph to read was inspired by the scene in Beauty and the Beast where Belle gets the Beast to read Romeo and Juilet to her-I've mentioned my headcanon where Raph actually enjoys reading and I've always liked the idea that he was the one to struggle the most with actually learning how to, hence the interaction between him and Rori. Timeline wise, this is obviously before the turtles have had any real human interaction on a personal level so I figured that Raphael would be quite overwhelmed by all of Rori's possessions as well as the things that bother her, having spent his whole life believing humans to be one thing and discovering otherwise as he spends more time with her. Anyway, I hope it was a believable enough scene and that my personal headcanons are something that others can enjoy!  
_

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will endeavor to get the next one up as soon as possible. I'll say about two weeks is the maximum time you should have to wait for it, as I'm still working on my other story also, but hopefully it won't be that long! Thanks for reading :D Merry Christmas to you all! _


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello, dear chums! I hope you're all well and that you all had a wonderful Christmas! Happy New Year, also! :D Apologies for being a bit late in updating, not only have I been completely overwhelmed with an abundance of coursework that I can't even begin to get my head around, I've had a terrible cold, been working lots aaaaannnnddd this chapter was a huge pain in the bum! I struggled and toyed with various ideas and structures and scenes and it was a pretty stressful event, I can tell you! This chapter would have been twice as long but I decided to split it up as I felt it would flow better, so if this chapter seems a little lacking in action and development, it's because a lot of things happen in the next one! It's quite sloppy in structure as it flits back and forth between different characters so I hope it comes across okay. I'm working on the next chapter now but as I said, updates will take longer I'm afraid but they should never take longer than three weeks at the absolute maximum. I'll also be aiming to get another piece for Playing Family out within that time too :)_

_Anyway, enough of my rambling! Please excuse any grammatical errors and stupid mistakes, I do try my best!_

_Thanks for all the reviews and follows and faves, they're always greatly appreciated. All feedback is welcomed so don't be shy :D_

_Disclaimer: Only OC's are mine. _

* * *

''This is absolute insanity.''

Raphael rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time. ''Would ya stop goin' on like damn broken record?'' he snarled at his brother. ''We get it, you don't like it but guess what, Fearless? Nobody cares!''

Mikey snorted with laughter and Donatello grinned before balking under Leonardo's murderous glare.

''I don't know how you two can find this funny. We have sent our friends into the lion's den while we sit out here like a group of useless spectators.''

''Speak for yourself,'' Donnie said and gestured to the laptop that was resting on his knees.

''You know what I mean,'' Leo snapped. ''I don't like the fact that we are going to be completely unable to do anything should something go wrong!''

''Casey will have April's back,'' Mikey said confidently. ''That guy has taken on at least half of those Purple Dragon morons by himself in the past.''

Raph smirked, remembering the legendary status that Casey had among the local gangs throughout the city.

''This isn't the same thing. This situation has the potential to become very dangerous, very quickly.'' Leonardo said, beginning to pace the edge of the rooftop.

''Leo, you really just need to try and stay calm.'' Donnie soothed, earning a growl from his older brother. If there was one thing that Leo hated, it was being told to calm down. Unable to give his brother's frustration much attention, Donnie returned his attention fully to the situation at hand. He tapped several keys on the keyboard in front of him and the laptop lit up quickly, displaying various reams of data whirling across the screen.

Raphael blinked rapidly and tilted to the side to get a better look. ''What the fuck, Braniac? I thought you said we were gonna have a live feed!''

Donnie merely gave him a sideways look of mild annoyance before he slapped the side of the laptop firmly. The screen flickered and wobbled before revealing a camera feed and a sound wave that wobbled with the muffled murmurs within the news van. The feed displayed nothing more than the world flying by the window of the van as it drove along the streets.

''That's some sweet technology there, bro!'' Mikey slapped Donnie on the shoulder in approval. ''It's so clear!''

''Only the best for this family,'' Donnie grinned proudly. ''Everything you see here is also being submitted back to the lair, backed up, locked down, and then backed up again. Should anything go wrong or,'' Donnie gave Leo a sceptical look, ''happen to us, Splinter has instructions to forward it all to the police.''

''The police? But if they come busting in there to arrest Vincent, they'll see us and cart us off to a zoo or something!'' Mikey exclaimed, his blue eyes alight with panic.

Raphael cuffed his little brother on the back of the head and Donatello chuckled.

''Mikey, nothing like that is going to happen. It's all just a precaution. Everything will be fine.''

Donnie gave Mikey a reassuring smile and proceeded to type away for a minute. There was a sharp whistling sound that was immediately silenced as Donnie plugged in a headset into the appropriate place. Fixing it over his head and angling the mouthpiece down, he cleared his throat. ''April, I know you can't talk but can you give me a sign that you can hear me? Wave your hands or something.''

Raph and Mikey peered at the screen and grinned when April gave a subtle wiggle of her fingers in the direction of the camera. ''That's great, April,'' Donnie chuckled, tapping keys and adjusting things on the screen. ''We'll be right with you every step of the way. Just stick to the plan and everything should go smoothly.''

He clicked a key and the screen split into half, keeping the feed from April at the top of the screen while a similar set up appeared on the bottom half. The feed, however, was pitch black.

''Casey? You there?''

Raph snorted as he heard Casey swear venomously through the headphones. Donnie winced and lifted the headset up for a second until Casey's voices died into a grumbling murmur.

''Casey, a simple yes would have sufficed!'' Donnie snapped into the microphone. ''You're going to need to remain quiet once the van is inside the building.''

''_I doubt they're gonna have guards standing outside the van the entire time, Don_.'' Casey replied.

''We don't know that so just for the sake of security, stay quiet. Everything should be fine but be ready for anything.''

''_Sheesh, when did you get so bossy?''_

Donnie sighed and muted the microphone, flipping it up away from his face. ''How do you work with that guy as much as you do?''

Raph smirked and gave a small shrug. ''What can I say? It's a beautiful relationship.''

''Aww, how romantic!'' Mikey cackled and proceeded to make kissy faces. As Raphael playfully lunged for him and Donatello casually chastised them, Leonardo stared off broodingly into the night. No matter what the others said, no matter how much they accused him of worrying too much or not being supportive of a plan that they all believed would work, he couldn't shake the horrible feeling deep down in his stomach that something was going to go spectacularly wrong.

''I just hope we get this done before that storm hits,'' Mikey said, breaking free from Raphael and nodding his head towards the bout of dark clouds that were slowly approaching from the distance, made all the more menacing in the haze of the city lights. ''That isn't gonna be pretty!''

''Somehow,'' Leonardo said quietly, looking out to the horizon with anxious eyes, ''I think that the storm is going to be the least of our worries tonight.''

* * *

Rori hurried along, her heeled boots clicking loudly on the sidewalk. She shucked her coat as her skin grew ever warmer in the sticky night air, awkwardly shifting her heavy bag as she did so. The forecast had predicted torrential rain and heavy thunderstorms which had yet to arrive, but the air was definitely thick with electricity and heat. Rori glanced up at the dark sky above the canopy of streetlights and willed the storm to hold off for as long as possible; if there was one thing she hated, it was getting caught out in the rain and spending the evening in soaking wet clothes.

The strap of her bag cut horribly into the crook of her arm and she hefted it up onto her shoulder, groaning slightly under the weight. Desperate to get away, she'd begged, pleaded and finally managed to convince the others to get out of town with her for a few days. Luckily, she was owed some time off from work due to all the overtime she had put in recently and Rosie, reluctantly as it meant she'd lose out on some decent midweek tips, had managed to swap some shifts with a co-worker at the last minute. Dexter and Ollie, being their own bosses, had no problem at all in arranging for Jack, their highest ranking employee, to step in and keep an eye on the store while they were gone. Rori didn't really give much of an explanation and they didn't ask for one; at this point, it went without saying that it was related to the drama surrounding her father, but at least they still thought it was to do with the media frenzy and not the events of the other night. They would be heading off after Rosie's performance to Rori's old family summer home, a big old barn style house on the outskirts of a small town in Connecticut. She and her father hadn't even visited the property since her mother had become sick so there was no telling what kind of state the place was in.

Rori sucked in a shuddery breath and picked up her pace, her skin suddenly tingling with unease as her father's lying voice filled her mind again. It was a risky move to leave the city and if it was only her life that was in danger, Rori might have considered otherwise. However, the lives of her friends were not something she was going to risk, therefore it was the only option she could come up with. There was no guarantee that her father wouldn't think to look for her there but Rori hoped that the memories of her mother would be painful enough to make him think twice, therefore making him doubt the possibility that Rori herself would be there. There was a chance for some safety up there, more than there would be if they stuck around. However, there was a major flaw in the plan of simply leaving town without being detected, and that was the fact that she needed to stop by the family home to pick up something. Something that, technically, was hers but she had relinquished to her father out of guilt and pity more than anything. No doubt he was bound to notice if it was taken, but the way things were at the moment, she couldn't be too sure. Either way, she wasn't leaving without it, but she had no solid plan of how to retrieve it without being caught and she was running out of time to think of one.

Moving awkwardly, Rori reached into the side compartment of her bag and plucked out her phone. A cursory glance at the screen showed no messages or missed calls and she sighed heavily. Raphael had yet to contact her since that morning when he had informed her of the plan to infiltrate the ChemLab building and she'd spent the entire day practically vibrating with nerves. She'd updated him on the conversation that she had had with her father which had resulted in her all but hyperventilating down the phone at him. Raph, not one for knowing how to deal with such hysterical behaviour, had frantically tried to calm her down, resulting in himself becoming frustrated and accidentally hanging up the phone. He'd rung back after a few minutes and growled ridiculous but soothing words to her before reassuring her again that he would keep her safe. Rori believed him but the added worry of what could possibly happen to him and his family only served to make her all the more anxious, thus making her decide to keep her decision to leave town quiet, for now, for fear of it angering or distracting him. She knew that he would be angry that she was gone but eventually, she hoped, he would understand.

''God, what a mess…'' she groaned to herself as she came up to _Tin Tins, _the bar that Rosie would be singing in. It was a regular and favourite haunt of theirs, full of memorabilia from the iconic cartoon, squashy chairs and cosy little nooks to drink the night away in. There was a stage by the big front window and Rori could already see a young guy on it, strumming his guitar while he crooned into the mic. Pasting a smile onto her face, she stepped into the crowded bar and immediately spotted the others nestled cosily in their usual corner.

''Jeez, Britannia,'' Dexter's bruised face creased in a grin as Rori wove her way through the mass of people towards them. ''We were starting to wonder if you were gonna show up!''

''I know, I know,'' Rori huffed as she dropped her bag on the floor and flopped back into one of the soft chairs. ''I had some trouble fitting everything into my bag.''

''How?!'' Ollie exclaimed, gesturing to her bag with a look of horror. ''That thing is absolutely gigantic! How the hell did you manage to carry that thing down here?!''

''It's not that big!'' Rori protested, glaring at him while Dexter chuckled.

''Yours isn't exactly tiny!'' Rosie pointed out to Ollie with a roll of her eyes. ''Probably full of a million cans of hairspray, I bet.''

''Alright, alright,'' Rori said, raising her hands. ''Clearly, we all have baggage issues.'' She grinned as her friends let out a collective groan at the weak joke. ''But in all seriousness, I just wanted to say thank you for agreeing to come with me for a few days.''

''Awww,'' Dexter teased, reaching over to wrap his arms around her in an exaggerated manner. ''That's what friends are for, moron. Besides, I could use a break.''

''_You_ could use a break?'' Ollie barked, eyebrows raised. ''I'm the one that's been bustin' my ass the last few weeks!''

''Pffft, yeah, right. You spend half your time fixing your hair!''

''Oh, for crying out loud! You two are worse than a bunch of girls at a sleepover.''

As the typical and playful bickering broke out among her friends, Rori allowed herself to be lulled into the embrace of comfort and security that came from being around the ones that really cared about her. She knew that it was fleeting and soon she'd be back to a tense, jittery mess but, for now, she'd take what she could get.

* * *

''And this is our HR department. All the usual stuff happens here regarding anything relating to our employees which, as you can imagine, we have a lot of!''

April gave a high, false laugh as Theodore James, the vice president of the company and the man giving her a tour of the building, chuckled deeply at his own joke. He was a short but a huge, impressively built man with a blonde buzz cut, a dimpled chin and a smile could appear either genuine or sinister depending on how the light caught it.

''You'll have to excuse my colleague, Miss O'Neil,'' Gale Vincent's voice oozed from behind them. ''He's not quite accepted the fact that his attempts at humour are never fully successful.''

April smiled weakly and Theodore let out another booming laugh, but there was a slight glint in his green eyes that looked a little like resentment.

''You are quite right, Mr Vincent. Please, forgive me, Miss O'Neil.''

''Oh, please,'' April waved her hands, ''don't apologise. I like a good joke.''

To avoid the steely gaze that Vincent was currently giving her, April stepped further forward into the room. It was a standard office set up with individual cubicles, computers and smaller offices for management at the back. They were still only in the lower part of the building but the view from the floor to ceiling windows displayed just how high up they already were. Franco, the young cameraman that she had been working with for the last few months, let out a whistle as he surveyed the room with an impressed look on his face.

''I gotta tell ya, Mr V, this place is insane.''

Vincent regarded the dark haired lad with a look of pure disdain, his mouth curling into an unpleasant sneer. Theodore simply smiled indulgently at Franco and paraded along the aisle nearest to the windows.

''It is quite impressive to be sure, Mr Franco. We run a tight ship in this company to ensure that we procure the best results.''

''And what results would those be, Mr James?'' April asked, fighting to keep her voice as casual as possible.

''Ah ah, all in good time, Miss O'Neil.'' Theodore swept a hand in the direction of the doorway. ''For now, I believe the rest of our tour will prove most enlightening for you.''

As April was led through the rooms and corridors of the vast building, moving ever higher in the structure, Donnie's quiet chatter filled her ear, occasionally interrupted by an outburst from one of the others. Franco walked dutifully alongside her, keeping his camera propped up on his shoulder the entire time as he gaped at the sights. Vincent trailed behind them as silently as a spectre, hardly saying a word the entire time. They viewed the advertising floor which was full of people shouting and running around chaotically, rooms specifically for technical support where tons of computers beeped and whirred at a frantic pace, and the multiple laboratory floors where scientists were working into the night with various experiments. They all donned a lab coat and a pair of protective goggles before entering one of the labs, following Theodore through the gigantic room.

''All humane, of course,'' Theodore assured them with a wink as April peered sceptically at some of the work that was currently taking place. She forced a grin before signalling for Franco to film some of the scientists who were tinkering with some chemicals nearby.

''This is only one of our laboratories within the building but it's definitely the biggest. We have some of the best minds in the country working for us.''

''What are you working on at the moment?'' April asked, stopping to stand next to a scientist who was bent over a vat of smoking liquid.

''Accelerated healing.'' The man looked up at her with a squint through his glistening goggles. ''We're testing various compounds to see if we can create a chemical salutation that will allow the body to heal at a much faster rate than normal.''

''I see,'' April said, wrinkling her nose in distaste at the fumes. ''So, I take it that you'll be testing this particular idea on animals to see if it can be successful?''

The man began to stammer a reply but Theodore cut him off, ''Yes we will, like most companies involved in this industry do, but I can assure you that it is all done in a completely humane way.''

Franco panned the camera to April as she turned to face Theodore. ''Forgive me if I'm wrong, Mr James, but surely if this idea is to be tested on animals, the animals will need to be harmed first to see a result, correct?''

''Well…yes, in a manner of speaking but I can absolutely assure you, Miss O'Neil, that all the rumours about our company are completely unfounded. We do not do anything that will cause unnecessary distress to any animal that we are working with.''

''But surely any sort of deliberate harm that isn't from the actual experimentation should be considered unnecessary?'' April countered, folding her arms and surveying the room with a barely concealed expression of disgust. ''I appreciate that animal testing is needed and it's the law but-''

''Miss O'Neil,'' Vincent's raspy voice cut across hers. ''Perhaps it would be more appropriate if we were to discuss these matters where the work of my employees will not be disturbed.''

April became aware of the quietness in the room and realised that nearly everyone was looking at them. It would have been impossible for half of them to have heard what she had been saying but her body language probably spoke for itself. With a nod of acquiescence, April and Franco allowed the tall man to lead them from the room, Theodore lumbering after them.

''_Jeez, April! Way to make things more tense than they already are.'' _Donnie's disapproving tone filled her ear.

April had to bite her tongue fiercely to hold her sarcastic retort at bay. As they strolled in a heavy silence towards the elevator, a beeping noise echoed through the air. Vincent let out a sigh and plucked a phone from his pocket.

''What is it?'' he asked impatiently, pausing just outside the open elevator doors. ''I see…how unfortunate. I'll be along momentarily.''

He hung up the phone and turned to April. ''My apologies, Miss O'Neil. I have some business to attend to, it shouldn't take too long. Theodore will escort you to my office and I will join you there shortly.'' The grin that he gave her was almost predatory. ''Perhaps we can finally resolve some of these…issues that seem to exist between us.''

With that, he turned and walked back down the corridor to disappear through the door at the other end. Theodore clapped his hands loudly and motioned towards the elevator.

''Shall we?''

''_This is your chance, April. You just need to find some way of getting rid of El Grande there.''_

''_El Grande?'' _Mikey's voice filtered through. _''Man, that was lame, Donnie!''_

''_Well, what would you call him, smart guy?''_

''_I dunno…the BFG, King Kong, Uberzilla…something with a bit of pazazz!''_

''_Uberzilla?! Are you for re-''_

''Shut up!'' April hissed through her teeth, earning her a weird look from Franco. Theodore had obviously not heard her over the sound of his own chatter. He waffled on and on, right out of the elevator and into the ridiculously large room that served as Vincent's office. He seated them in two plush chairs in front of the sleek desk and summoned somebody over the intercom to bring them refreshments. There was a smell of stale cigarette smoke within the room that made April's stomach churn.

''For crying out loud, Marie! Take your time about it, why don't you!'' Theodore declared as a young Asian woman, smartly dressed in a sharp blazer and pencil skirt, entered the room carrying a silver tray adorned with drinks and nibbles. She glared at Theodore with burning rage and set the tray down with a little more force than was necessary.

''You know, _Mr James_,'' the woman spat,'' you could actually use those fat tree trunks that you call legs to do some real work around this place. I'm Mr Vincent's secretary, not your errand girl.''

''When Mr Vincent isn't here, I'm in charge, and that means that you do what I say. Capiche?'' He sneered, his white teeth glinting in the light.

April watched the exchange with interest while Franco merely gawped at Marie. The young woman gave a snort of disgust and flounced from the room, her heels clacking sharply on the floor. Theodore watched her go, groaned loudly, and turned to April and Franco with an annoyed yet sheepish look on his face.

''If you'll excuse me for a few minutes. I just need to remind my colleague to use her manners.'' He waved a hand at the refreshments and gave them a strained grin. ''Please make yourselves comfortable in the meantime.''

April wasted no time in leaping to her feet as soon as Theodore was out of the room.

''Yo, what are you doing?'' Franco asked.

''Getting the truth.'' April said, making a beeline for the laptop upon the desk. With a dismayed glance at Franco, she reached a hand down her top and wriggled it around for a moment. Franco's eyes widened in absolute disbelief and a lecherous grin began to form on his face until she removed her hand, clutching a device that resembled a miniature usb stick.

''_Okay, this works like any other usb stick. Just plug it in and I'll do the rest.''_

April located the correct port and inserted the stick. The laptop immediately lit up and began to perform seemingly of its own accord, but April knew that it now under Donatello's control. Files and documents began to open and close on the screen, graphs and charts and emails were pulled up, minimised and opened again and all the while, she could actually hear the _rat tat tat_ of Donnie's fingers against the keys through the earpiece. As her friend worked his magic, April motioned for Franco to follow her to the door.

''_April? What are you doing?''_

''Investigating!''

''_Are you crazy?! You'll get caught!''_

April ignored Donnie and smiled encouragingly at Franco, who was staring at her with a most disturbed expression.

''Listen, I'm sure there's something to be found in this building. Try to keep quiet, okay?''

''Why? What's going to happen?'' Franco asked, clutching the camera to his chest protectively.

April shook her head as she eased open the door and peered out into the foyer. There was no sign of Marie or Theodore. The silence was almost deafening and made the hair on April's arms stand on end.

''_April! Don't you dare leave that room!''_

''My camera is transmitting straight to you and I'm sure there's something incriminating to be found in this building somewhere. Even if I get caught, you'll have the data.''

''_This isn't worth risking your safety for!''_

''You're the one who bugged me!'' April snarled in a whisper, jogging lightly along the corridor with Franco following her in bewilderment. ''What was the point of that if I can't actually do something useful, like finding out just what the hell is going on here?''

''Who the fuck are you talking to, April?'' Franco asked from behind. ''I gotta tell ya, I'm starting to get really freaked out here.''

''Quiet!'' April said as they bundled into the elevator. Knowing that the only way they hadn't been was further up, she bashed a random number on the panel that took them four floors up.

''_There's no detailed information on the blueprints about the upper floors. As far as I can tell, they're just empty office floors.''_

''Given the track record of this company, I highly doubt it.'' April replied, not bothering to acknowledge Franco's ever increasing confusion. The elevator reached the floor and the doors opened with a ding to reveal a dark hallway, no different from any of the others that they had already been down. Dissatisfied, April hit a few more buttons on the panel which took them higher and higher, showing them nothing but identical floors shrouded in darkness, until the doors opened to reveal a hallway that was brightly lit.

''If the lights are on all the way up here, that must mean something's going on.'' April concluded, edging out and waving for Franco to follow her.

''_There's hardly any security from Vincent's floor upwards, but that doesn't mean somebody can't see you! There's hundreds of people patrolling the entire building, you will get caught!'' _Donnie's scolding voice made her roll her eyes. '_'The fact that nobody has seen you or that security hasn't caught on by now is enough to make me suspicious, therefore making me more worried, April.''_

''I'll be careful.''

Franco cleared his throat from behind her. ''Yo, shouldn't we get back? We're probably gonna get in trouble if someone catches us up here.''

''Shhh! Just keep your eyes and ears open.''

Franco shrugged and hefted the camera back up onto his shoulder, following her with squeaky steps as they slowly walked along. Peeking through the doors that lined the walls revealed nothing but disused offices with computer screens still wrapped in their plastic coverings.

''_April, come on. If you head back now you can just say you got lost looking for the bathroom or something.''_

April was starting to think that maybe Donatello was right when a noise echoed down the hallway. Franco fumbled and almost dropped the camera while April spun round on the spot, looking around in panic.

''What the hell was that?''

The sound came again. It was loud and full of power, almost like the roar of an animal. It sounded muffled, however, as though it was coming from behind a wall. April edged forward down the hall, her steps light and careful. When the sound came again, it was much louder, sending April leaping away from the door she was standing next to. She peered at it with concern, noting that it didn't have a handle.

''_April?''_

''There's something here…'' April whispered, reaching out to slowly press her hand against the door. Without warning, it slid upwards and into the ceiling like something out of a science fiction movie, revealing a shadowy room. The only light came in the form of an ominous green glow emanating from the ceiling.

''Yo…you're not going in there, are you? I'm pretty sure this is like the part in the movies where something leaps out and tears your head off.''

''Thanks for the mental picture…'' April mumbled, taking another cautious step forward.

''_April…don't you even think about it. I'm serious, don't-!''_

April took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

* * *

''Goddamnit!'' Donnie slammed his hands against the keyboard, causing the laptop to beep in protest. He quickly switched to Casey's feed. ''Casey, you better be ready because something tells me you might be needed very soon.''

There was the sound of a snore being cut off followed by a frantic scuffling sound. _''What?! Is April okay?''_

''For the time being,'' Donnie mumbled, rubbing the space between his eyes. ''Just stay alert.''

''_I'm gettin' outta this damn van! I'm gonna hide somewhere, just in case.''_

''Casey, you're better off staying in the van! What if someone sees you?''

Casey snorted. _''Trust me, nobody will see me.''_

Donnie rolled his eyes but said nothing more, minimising the feed so that the feed from April's camera filled the screen once more.

''Gotta give it to her,'' Raph said with a small grin, ''she's definitely got guts.''

''What the hell is she playing at?'' Leo growled, continuing to pace the length of the rooftop, his fists clenching and unclenching. ''She's deliberately putting herself in danger!''

''She's a reporter, Leo,'' Mikey said with a roll of his eyes. ''It's in her job description to take risks.''

''Not like this,'' the leader sighed, dropping down to crouch beside Donatello. He squinted at the screen, moving his head to the left as Raph and Mikey crowded in for a better look. There was a faint outline of some large shapes within the shadows of the room, barely touched by the green light. ''What is that?''

''I don't know…looks like…boxes, really big boxes…'' Donnie maximised the screen but it did nothing to improve their visibility. ''April, even though I'm really uncomfortable with what you're doing…can you see anything?''

''_No, but I can hear something…I'm not quite sure that we're alone in here.''_

''Can't you find a light switch?'' Mikey asked, pressing his mouth up close to Donnie's cheek. ''Every room has gotta have a light switch!''

Donnie shoved him away. ''Just…stay frosty, April.''

''Stay frosty?'' Raph snorted. ''You been watchin' _Aliens _or somethin'?''

''That's the next one on the Halloween countdown list!'' Mikey piped up.

''Shut up.'' Donnie retorted, aligning April's feed beside the stream of data that he was obtaining from Vincent's computer. ''Hmmm…'' he said as he trailed through it, eyes moving rapidly. ''The details here are pretty scarce but it seems that Vincent is planning on using Jones' machine for something called Operation Lazarus…but it doesn't make sense…''

''What doesn't?'' Raph asked, already knowing that he wasn't going to like the answer.

''Well, Jones' machine was created with the intention of being used to manipulate tissues and organs into rebelling against the effects of a body shutting down, therefore resulting in a resistance to the process of dying. It's still a work in progress which is why, I believe, that he chose to collaborate with Vincent in the first place, so that he could work with somebody who could increase the chances of the machine actually working.''

''Right…'' Leo said, motioning for Donnie to carry on.

''So, if that is the case, then what the hell is Operation Lazarus?'' Donnie said. ''It's not Max's idea, that's for sure. The information here lists multiple experiments with the machine, but it is also details the use of both animal and human DNA in these experiments.''

''What would a machine used for preventing death need anything like that for?'' Mikey frowned, scratching his head. ''Wouldn't the machine only need to mess with the insides of the person it was being used on?''

''Essentially, yes,'' Donnie said, turning back to the screen with a frown. ''The machine basically harnesses energy from the cells of the human body and generates them to act against whatever is attacking the body. There would be no use for any external DNA at all. The only conclusion I can come up with is that Vincent has taken the fundamental mechanics of what Max created and has combined it with something of his own design.''

''But why would Max let him do that?''

Raph didn't need Donatello to answer because, with a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach, he realised that he already knew. There was no way Max would have given up the intricate details and mechanics about his invention, no way that he would have willingly let a man like Vincent dictate anything to him. Unless, Vincent had a hold over Max, a way to make him do whatever Vincent wanted, and Raphael knew that were was only one thing in the whole world that could be used as leverage against Max.

_Rori…_

His heart sped up to the speed of a jet and his breath left him in a rush. Of course it was Rori, how could it be anything else? Vincent had already made a try for her once, there was no doubt that he would do it again, especially if he knew that she was the key in getting Max to cooperate. Even if Max was somehow as corrupted as Vincent, Raph was almost certain that he would never use Rori for his own gain, not if it meant putting the life of his only child in danger.

He had to warn her, tell her that it was too dangerous to stay in the city, to get out as quickly as she could. She was a sitting duck, a wide open target just waiting to be picked off and what had he done? He'd left her alone and defenceless when he had promised to keep her safe, no matter what. His skin broke out into a cold sweat and a strange sort of panic, fuelled by his own self-loathing for his inexcusable carelessness, began to well up inside of him, making him feel like he needed to run to her as fast as he could. His feet shifted and his knees bent in preparation, and he wondered how far he could get before one of the others caught up to him and demanded an explanation that he wouldn't be able to give.

He made himself ready to spring when a frantic scrambling from Donnie made him pause. He watched with cautious interest as Donatello hit a key several times and pulled out the lead for the headset, making it so the others could hear too.

''Say that again, Casey?'' He still spoke into the mic of the headset, holding it closely to his lips.

''_Donnie…that Vincent dude…he's in the room!''_

''What?!'' Donnie whispered back harshly. ''Are you sure?''

''_Positive! He's on the phone to someone, an' he sounds pissed.''_

''Wait…Casey, unplug your mic and hold it up. I'm going to see if I can extend the range.''

There was some rustling as Casey did as he was asked. The camera feed only displayed a darkness full of blurriness, save for a lone figure standing close by under a weak beam of light. Vincent paced on the spot, his free hand flying furiously through the air as he snarled at whoever was on the other end.

''_-don't care…just wait until…right moment…Take the others…expendable, it doesn't matter…BULLARD, JUST GET HER AND BRING HER HERE OR SO HELP ME, I WILL MAKE YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES COME TRUE!''_

Vincent jabbed at his phone and seemed to take a deep breath, reaching up to smooth his hair down. He took a step forward, then paused and turned, appearing to look directly in Casey's direction. Raphael felt his blood run cold as he swore that a small grin appeared on Vincent's thin lips before he turned and left the room.

''_Holy shit…this guy is absolutely crazy.''_

''Who was he talking about?''

''_The daughter of that Max Jones guy…Aurora, I think that's her name. He's got a bunch of his goons tailin' her right now.''_

Raph felt himself stagger on the spot, bumping into Mikey who automatically reached out to steady him. There was no time for him to truly react to the fact that his worst nightmare was coming true when there was a burst of commotion from April's feed. Donnie hurriedly pulled up the screen to reveal a terrified looking Franco. He jabbered frantically at April who could only reach out to try and placate him before letting out a frightened shriek as there was a loud noise from behind her. She whirled round to reveal a figure darting towards her from the other end of the room. It reached her just as the lights within the room came to life with bright ferocity.

''_What the-?!''_

''_Please, you have to get out of here! Go, now!''_

The blinding brightness faded enough to reveal the beaten and frightened face of a man.

''_Mr Jones?!''_

''_Please, they're going to kidnap my daughter! You have to help her!''_

Almost immediately, there was a furious snarl from somewhere nearby and the feed whirled as April did, letting out a terrified whimper at what she saw. The walls were lined with huge cages, at least twelve at a quick glance. Within them were beings, monstrous in size and seemingly ferocious by nature. The creatures snarled and snapped from behind the bars, their eyes manic and their teeth glistening. They varied in size and features, ranging from small and wolf-like with yellow eyes to huge, hulking bear shapes with hands instead of paws. The characteristic were animal, to be sure, but there was human in each of them, too much to simply be a coincidence.

''…Are we really seeing this?''

Donnie could only nod in response, his jaw slightly agape. Raph felt the panic rising within him, so much so that he was practically vibrating on the spot. He fumbled at his belt for his phone, trying to block out the insane clamour of noise coming from April's feed.

''_Donnie! Are you seeing this?! This is it-he has been experimenting on people!''_

''_You need to leave! Quickly, before they see you!''_

''Raphael? What are you doing?''

''I need to call her, she ain't safe!''

''Who?!''

Before he could reply, before he could divulge his deepest secret, April's frantic cries captured all of their attention once more. They could only watch as there was a commotion on each feed and a furious bout of swearing from Casey before both cut out, leaving them with nothing but buzzing static. Donnie yelled at the screen and bashed keys furiously, incoherent words flying from his mouth as he struggled to bring them back. Mikey gripped his head tightly, his eyes brimming with dismay.

''What are we gonna do?!''

Leonardo didn't answer. Instead, he slowly turned his gaze onto Raphael.

''You know her, don't you? Max Jones' daughter.''

Raphael met his gaze, his amber eyes flashing in a way that Leonardo didn't like. He didn't reply, but at this point, he didn't need to. Leonardo closed in on him until their toes were almost touching.

''Oh, yeah, I'd say you know her quite well.''

''I ain't got time for this, Leo.'' Raphael whispered, the phone trembling in his hand. ''I gotta find her.''

''Not until you explain this to me.'' Leo replied, his voice heavy with authority.

''We don't have time for this bullshit, Leo!'' Raph shouted. ''Our friends are in there an' someone I care 'bout is in serious danger so you need to get the fuck outta my way!''

Leonardo had barely moved to block his route and Raphael had only half raised his fist in the air when his phone began to ring. He didn't need to look at it to know who it was and immediately answered, shoving himself away from Leo as he did so.

''Rori?! Listen to me, princess, there ain't a lotta time-''

''_Shhh, Raph!'' _a hushed but teary voice cut him off. _''We're in my dad's place, I came to get Rocky but…there's someone here!''_

''FUCK!'' Raph swore loudly, gripping his head with his free hand. ''Alright, I'm comin', you hear me? I'm comin'!''

As he quickly slid his phone back into his belt, he heard the soft scrape of metal shifting. Looking up, he was confronted with a grave faced Leonardo slowly withdrawing his swords. Momentary shock rapidly gave way to the raging torrent of anger and panic within him and Raphael tucked his hands back, making it so his fingers were almost touching the hilts of his weapons.

''We ain't got time for this, Leo.''

Leo's eyes flickered in his direction and he realised that his older brother hadn't been looking at him, but at something behind him. The movement of Michelangelo and Donatello drawing their weapons and angling their bodies into defensive stances made him whirl on the spot to see what they were looking at. On the next rooftop over, a group of about thirty people shrouded in black stood in a strict formation, each holding a particular weapon in an offensive position. Raphael's brow creased into a disbelieving frown.

''Is that…is that the Foot?!''

''What's left of it,'' Leonardo said quietly, his eyes flashing dangerously. ''Guess they found someone else to devote their loyalties to.''

''I thought they'd all left town when we took down the Shredder,'' Mikey whispered to Donatello who could only shake his head.

''It would appear that we were all wrong on that assumption.''

Raph wrenched his weapons free and waved them tauntingly at the group of silent ninjas.

''Come on then, you want it?! Come an' get it!''

Leonardo's firm voice had barely begun to scold him when Raphael felt a sharp sting in his arm, and from the grunts behind him, he knew that the others had felt something similar. A quick glance down revealed a dart, small with a red tip, sticking out from his upper arm. Immediately, a wave of nauseating wooziness swept over him, pushing him to his knees. There was two heavy thuds as Donnie and Mikey both fell to the ground and another one to his side as Leonardo toppled over, groaning as he tried to maintain a grip on his weapons. There was a swishing sound of bodies moving through the air as the Foot leapt over onto the rooftop, their masks concealing what Raphael knew to be expressions of triumph.

''Leo…'' Raph groaned, reaching out weakly for his brother. ''Get up…''

Leonardo's hand barely lifted one of his swords from the floor before a black boot kicked it away. Raph could only growl faintly as he watched Leo's brown eyes fall shut. He grasped his sai as tightly as he could and swung it sloppily through the air, only succeeding in sending himself off balance.

''I'll kill you for this…'' he slurred, slumping to his side. ''All of ya…''

As the effects of the tranquilizer began to finally conquer him, he felt the buzzing vibrations of his phone against his plastron. He couldn't find the strength to reach for it and he felt tears, bitter and full of despairing anger, leak freely from his aching eyes. Rori's face, bright and so beautiful, flashed through his mind. It was so vivid that he felt that he could reach out and touch it, cup her cheek in his hand and reassure her that it would all be okay. Then, the image flickered and she was gone, and soon Raph knew nothing but the dreamless darkness that awaited him.

* * *

_Maaaaannnn I still absolutely hate this chapter but I just couldn't fiddle around with it anymore, I just needed it done so I could move on with the plot. That's probably a terrible way to think and feel but I can't help it, unfortunately! Hopefully it was satisfactory enough! See you next time! :D  
_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hello, chums! Firstly, I'm so sorry this chapter has taken so long. Not only has it been an absolute nightmare (I'm talking rewrites, deleted scenes, reinstalled scenes, me screaming etc) but I've been super busy. The course I'm currently taking is quite demanding to say the least and there's sooooo much work to do-I haven't even had time to play any of the video games my partner bought me for Christmas, a very depressing realization I came to yesterday evening, so that just shows you how busy I am. I said before that I would always update within three weeks at max, usually two, and I still stand by that but please forgive me if I do take a little bit longer with updates although hopefully I won't. After this chapter, we're up to the parts that I've been really looking forward to writing so hopefully, after you've read this absolute shoddy and chaotic bitch of a chapter, you'll be up for reading those when I get them finished :)_

_I know that this chapter is a grammatical and horrible mess, there's too much dialogue, too much description in some parts and not enough in others, it's prett ymuch all one long scene which isn't ideal and there's most likely some horrendous mistakes that I haven't spotted in my tenth readthrough but I still hope you enjoy it. I always knew that this chapter was going to be a pain in the ass to accomplish but I've slaved over it and just can't bring myself to spend anymore time on it haha, so please don't be too harsh on me! Admittedly, and much to my frustration because for plot purposes I had to do it, there isn't as much of the turtles in this chapter as there should be but I swear to god, this is the only chapter where that is an issue but yeah, it sucks, so sorry for that. _

_As always, thanks to everyone who's followed and reviewed this story, it gives me such joy to know that people are enjoying it so please continue to let me know what you think :)_

_Disclaimer: All recognized things are not mine. _

* * *

_Rain pelted furiously against the window, so heavily in fact that Rori half expected the glass to shatter under the force. She closed her book after carefully marking her place and set it aside with a heavy sigh. It had been days since she seen or heard from Raphael. No messages, no visits and no connection able to be made when she rang his phone only confirmed her fears that something terrible had happened to him. Rori looked over to the rain spattered window and chewed her lip, feeling her gut wrench as she considered the fact that maybe she was wrong, maybe nothing had happened to him at all. Maybe…he just simply didn't have time for her anymore._

_He'd been so busy and had so many stories to tell recently, ranging from the latest thing Leonardo had done to piss him off to how many goons he'd punched on a particular night. An increase in criminal activity over the past few months, believed to be the work of a team of ninja thieves known as The Foot Clan, had kept Raph and his brothers extremely busy. Additionally, the appearance of a new friend in the form of April O'Neil, a woman that Raphael had personally rescued after she was attacked in the subway, had caused somewhat of a problem too. Rori refused to admit that she was jealous, but it was hard not to be when your best friend started hanging out with some gorgeous redhead news reporter in her twenties. _

_Rori stalked towards the mirror hanging on the back of her door and stood in front of it. Yeah, it was definitely hard not to feel jealous when she was nothing but an awkward teenage girl with braces, a flat chest and an interest in books and dancing. Why wouldn't he want to spend time with someone new, someone who was cooler and prettier than her? Rori pressed her bony cheeks, plucked at her dark hair, lifted up the hem of her shirt to poke at the smattering of freckles on her stomach and smoothed her hands over the alarmingly increasing swell of her hips. She couldn't tell how long she stood in front of the mirror, criticizing and analysing every aspect of her body for the millionth time, but it was definitely long enough for her to not notice her phone ringing until it was halfway through the ringtone. She bounded across the room and plucked it up from her bed._

''_Hello?''_

''_Oh my god, it's insane, Rori! You should be here! Me and Ollie were just going out to see a movie and seriously, there's people everywhere! There's a load of unconscious ninja dudes, cops all over place, it's crazy and apparently some tin man dude just got crushed in the back of a garbage truck and-''_

''_Whoa, whoa! Dexter, what the hell are you talking about?''_

''_You know all those ninja guys that have been causing all the trouble recently? Basically, some weird looking vigilante guys took 'em all on and won! The cops are arresting a shit ton of kids who were involved and they're all saying that four guys in green and someone in a giant rat costume are the ones that took down their leader!''_

_Four guys in green and a giant rat costume? Rori barely had time to acknowledge what Dexter was saying before the sound of her window opening had her whirling round with a cry. A soaking wet and fairly bruised Raphael gave her a strange look as he climbed through, creating a rapidly growing damp patch on the carpet._

''_Rori? You there?''_

''_Uhhh…yeah,'' Rori stammered, managing to make herself move into her adjoining bathroom to grab a towel. ''Yeah, I just, uh-sorry, did you say a tin man got crushed in a garbage truck?''_

_Raphael's head jerked up at this and he peered at her warily as she handed him the towel. _

''_That's what they're saying. Ooh, man! That April O'Neil lady from the news is here! I gotta get a better look! I'll call you tomorrow, babe!''_

_Rori pulled the phone away to look at it in bewilderment before turning her attention back to Raphael who was vigorously running the towel over his shell. Stepping behind him, she prised the towel from his hands and continued the job, making sure to get right into the grooves to remove every single drop of moisture. When he was completely dry, she threw the wet towel into the laundry hamper by the door._

''_So…I guess you're probably wonderin' where I've been.''_

''_I guess you could say that,'' Rori responded, her voice high with forced casualness. ''I mean, two weeks is a pretty long time to not hear from someone, even by your standards.''_

''_Uh, yeah, I guess,'' Raph said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He motioned towards the squishy beanbags in the corner. ''You, uh, wanna sit down? It might take a while to fill ya in on everythin',''_

_Rori looked at him for a moment before agreeing, dropping down onto the edge of the beanbag, unable to allow herself to fully sink back into its comforting support. Raphael sat opposite her, sinking into his seat with a soft groan. Rori let her eyes roam over his marred green skin, taking in the dark bruises and superficial yet sore looking wounds. There was a particularly nasty gash across his collarbone that she couldn't help but reach out to trace, wincing in sympathy as Raphael hissed. _

''_What happened to you?''_

_Raphael sighed and launched into the story of what had taken place since they had last seen each other. Rori gasped in horror as he told her about Splinter being taken, grabbed his arm in anguish as he described his ordeal with an abundance of Foot ninjas, and listened intently as he regaled her with all the dramatic and strange events that had taken place since then, right up until he and his brothers had taken on the Shredder before Splinter finally defeated him. _

''_That's where I've just come from,'' he finished, slumping even further back into his seat as though telling the story had exhausted him. ''I told Splinter an' my brothers that I was headin' home so I better take off soon before they get back, but I couldn't go home without comin' here first…'' he said and ducked his head shyly, ''I just had to see ya.''_

_He studied his friend carefully. Her face was ashen and there were dark circles underneath her unusually dull eyes. He hated that he had been the one to cause her such worry and upset. More than that, he hated how he had been away from her for so long and there hadn't been a damn thing he could do about it. There had been no way of contacting her from the farmhouse; no time, phone signal or being able to remain conscious had seen to that. It wasn't like he hadn't thought of her constantly but there wasn't any way he could have contacted her without giving everything away; the fact that he'd had to explain why he was moaning her name in his sleep had been bad enough. _

''_Raph, I was really worried something bad had happened to you and I was right, only it worse than I actually thought!'' Rori clenched her eyes shut and dug her fingers into her hair. ''God, the thought of you being thrown through that skylight and being unconscious for all that time, and I just-''_

''_Hey,'' Raph reached out and gently took hold of her arms, lowering them so he could look into her face. ''I'm alright, it's all over now.'' He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring grin which she weakly returned. _

''_Just…Don't ever scare me like that again, you sodding idiot.'' Rori breathed, glaring half-heartedly at him. _

''_I'll try not to.'' He let go of her arms and reached back towards his belt. ''Almost forgot…''_

_Rori watched as he removed a small leather pouch from his belt and undid the strings, tipping it upside down until something small fell into his hand. He clutched one end of it and held it up for her to see. Rori studied it for a second before her eyes lit up in wonder. It was a locket in the shape of a green round door attached to a bronze necklace chain. _

''_Raph…is that…?''_

_He nodded. ''Found it up at April's farmhouse. Her old man used to collect antiques an' old junk an' there was a massive stash in the barn. She said we could help ourselves to any of it so I saw that an'…'' he shrugged and waved it towards her, ''I thought ya might like it.''_

''_Like it? Raph, it's the door to Bag End! I love it!''_

_She held up her hands and cupped the necklace as he lowered it into her grasp. She carefully touched the locket, tracing the brass knob in the centre before easing it open to reveal the empty insides. _

''_You'll have to take a picture to put inside.''_

''_A picture of us,'' Rori affirmed as she put the locket on, fastening the catch securely against her neck. She touched the locket and immediately felt a sense of comfort at the feel of it against her skin. She looked up at Raphael and he quickly looked away, his cheeks turning a slightly darker shade of green. Without warning, and without much thought, Rori slid to her knees which moved her into the space between his outstretched legs and looped her arms around his neck in a tentative hug. His hands flailed around her for a moment before fluttering to rest on the small of her back for a few seconds, then they were gone again. She sat back on her heels but kept her hands on his shoulders, needing to reaffirm the fact that he was really sat in front of her. _

''_It's seriously the best present I've ever been given.''_

_Raph raised a brow at her before glancing around her bedroom._

''_Seriously? The best?''_

_Rori smiled at him. ''Seriously.''_

_He grinned bashfully at her then, the gesture making his amber eyes light up. He moved to stand up, holding onto Rori's arm to help her to her feet._

''_I should probably go…already been gone way longer than I planned.''_

_He released her arm and she followed him towards the window, feeling downcast at the thought of him leaving again, even if it was just to return to his home in the sewers. As he hoisted up the window, causing a wet gust of wind to blow into the room, she placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her. She tried to keep her face normal but something must have given her away because he mimicked her gesture and lifted his own hand to her shoulder, gripping it firmly._

''_Hey, I ain't goin' anywhere,'' he said before quirking his head to the side. ''At least, nowhere but my bed.''_

''_I know…'' she said softly, shifting her feet with embarrassment. ''But…you nearly died, Raph, and I wouldn't have known anything about it. What if something like this happens again?''_

''_Don't worry, Princess,'' he reassured as he hopped up onto the window ledge. ''We beat the bad guys. Nothin' this bad will ever happen again, trust me!''_

* * *

Rori groaned, furrowing her brow against the banging pain inside her head. There was noise surrounding her, violent and unbearably loud. It was like white noise hissing directly in her ears and she struggled to open her eyes, letting out another groan against the effort.

''-what's coming to you, you sadistic nutcase! Let us go!''

''You'll never get away with this!''

''You just fucking wait until we go to the news about this-''

The arguing and shouting continued, rendering the voices an inseparable mess once again. Rori wrenched her eyes open, blinking rapidly against the brightness of the room.

''Rori? Rori!''

Rori felt something kick her left leg and she turned her head to see the blurry outline of Rosie's frightened face looking back at her. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed that Rosie's hands were drawn up over her head, held against a wall by metal cuffs. A quick attempt to move her own arms allowed Rori to realise that she was also in the same predicament.

''Are you okay?'' Rosie asked, her eyes locking onto a spot on Rori's head. ''You got hit on the head when they took us. They wouldn't let me stop the bleeding.''

So, that's where the metallic smell was coming from, Rori thought as she blinked her eyes again. A movement beside Rosie drew Rori's attention to an irate looking Ollie who was glaring ahead venomously. ''Stay away from us, you damn psycho!''

Rori let out an involuntary gasp as a hand suddenly seized hold of her chin and she found herself staring into a pair of soulless blue eyes.

''Hey, leave her alone!'' Dexter's voice came from her right. ''Get away from her!''

''You'd all do well to keep your impudent little mouths shut,'' Vincent said coolly, his citrus scented breath washing over Rori's face. ''I must say, I expected the daughter of Max Jones to be somewhat more…'' he rolled his tongue around inside his cheeks, ''impressive.''

His bony thumb brushed slowly over her cheekbone and she glared at him, willing her face not to give away the fear she was feeling inside. ''What do you want with us?'' she asked in a tight voice.

Vincent's lips pulled back to reveal his many insanely white teeth. He slowly released her face and stepped back so he could survey them all equally for a moment before walking away. Rori took the chance to quickly survey her surroundings. They were in a gigantic windowless room filled to the brim with scientific equipment and appliances; there was an overabundance of chemicals bubbling, machines beeping and substances coming together in ways that didn't look safe. There was a few scientists running about the place, checking charts and fiddling with their work whilst looking more and more flustered. Looking from side to side, Rori saw that her friends were all in the same predicament as she was with their wrists shackled to the wall with no obvious way of escape. At the opposite end of the room, there was a large control panel sitting below a screen that took up nearly all of the wall, save for the door. The control panel was covered in various buttons and surveillance screens that seemed to monitor various areas within the building.

''Did you hear that?!'' Rosie suddenly whispered, her voice harsh with panic.

''Hear what?'' Ollie hissed back, glancing round the room.

''That!'' she snapped, her blue eyes locking onto the right side of the room. ''It sounds like…shouting…'' she nodded towards what Rori now realised to be a sliding door in the centre of the wall. ''I think it's coming from behind that door.''

''What are you on about? I can't hear anythi-''

''Shhh!'' Rori cut across Dexter, desperate to fully hear the noises that definitely seemed to be emanating from nearby. It sounded like voices, angry voices and…was that a dog barking? Sudden remembrance and horror ploughed into Rori like a ton of bricks and she turned her attention back to Vincent.

''What did you do with Rocky?!''

Vincent didn't turn to face her, keeping his eyes on the screens. ''I must say, Miss Jones, when the attempt to collect you was thwarted the other night, I became most intrigued about you. Originally, you were just meant to be a tool to use against your father in order to ensure his cooperation, but now…''

He pressed a button and an image flickered to life on the screen.

''It is your association with these creatures that has made you far more valuable.''

Rori's heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach with a heavy thud. The figures on the screen were surrounded by a gaggle of men that she instantly recognised as members of the Foot Clan. The figures were seemingly bound together while a large shaggy dog stood beside them, hackles up and teeth bared in a ferocious looking snarl.

''What the…are those giant fucking turtles?!''

''And that's that lady from the news!''

Dexter scoffed incredulously at Ollie's comment. ''Dude, are you not seeing the fucking gigantic turtles on the screen! Turtles, man! Giant turtles!''

Rori kept her eyes fixed on the screen, locking them onto a furious looking Raphael as he snarled soundlessly at their captors. She sucked in a shuddering breath as he angled his lower body so that he was positioned in front of Rocky as the dog continued to bark relentlessly. She could hear the rumble of noise coming from behind the nearby door and it matched up with the feed perfectly. Knowing that Raphael was so close to her but stuck in the same situation as she filled her with all kinds of conflicting emotion, so much so that she suddenly found it hard to breathe.

''He said that you knew them,'' Rosie said quietly, causing Rori to turn and look at her confused face. ''That's what he said. Is that true?''

''It would appear that your friend here has been harbouring a secret. A secret that she has been keeping for quite a long time, I would wager.''

Rori turned a burning gaze back to Vincent as he approached them once more, a small yet calculating smile on his face. Beside her, Dexter snorted out a scornful laugh.

''Rori? Friends with a bunch of giant turtles? Get real, dude! I think that's something we would know about!''

''Yeah!'' Ollie snapped, wriggling in his cuffs as Vincent drew close. ''You've got the wrong person, you damn psycho!''

''Oh, I really don't think so,'' Vincent said, his smile growing larger. ''I know for a fact that our dear Aurora knows these…turtles, quite well.''

''You don't know what you're talking about,'' Rori snarled, glaring defiantly into his face.

''Oh, but I do,'' Vincent argued smoothly. He gestured towards the screen with a flourish of his long fingers. ''Is that not your family dog standing companionably beside the one in red?''

Rori deliberately didn't look at the screen. Of course Rocky would stand closely to Raphael; he'd known Raphael since he was a puppy. Her father had bought Rocky for her as a present to cheer her up in the wake of her mother's diagnosis, having never fulfilled his promise of getting a dog as a family pet in the past. Rori, seventeen and struggling to cope with the emotional bombshell that had struck their family, had fallen in love with the fluffy ball of energy straight away. Raphael, who had always displayed a unique connection with animals of all shapes and sizes, had bonded with the spirited and loyal dog almost straight away and they'd shared a close bond ever since. Rori had bequeathed Rocky to her father when she had moved out, feeling that it would be beneficial for her father to have him around, even though it had broken her heart to leave Rocky behind.

''Strange how a dog would stand so protectively beside someone that he doesn't know, don't you think?'' Vincent said in a musing voice.

Rori remained silent, keeping her eyes firmly locked on the floor in front of her.

''Rori? Do you know them?'' Rosie demanded again, the edges of her hair swinging in front of Rori's view as her friend tried to catch her gaze.

''This is absolutely fucking insane…'' Dexter said quietly. ''How the hell do those guys even exist?!''

''All in good time, Mr Darker,'' Vincent assured, ignoring Dexter's confused ramblings and stepping closer to Rori again. Her breath caught in her throat as Vincent reached out and placed his hand upon the column of her neck.

''Get your filthy hands off her!'' Ollie yelled, struggling futilely in his cuffs.

''Tell me, Aurora, how does it feel to have your friends defend you so valiantly when you have lied to them for so long?''

''What the fuck is he talking about, Rori?'' Dexter shouted, the frustration evident in his voice.

''You don't know anything,'' Rori said quietly, closing her hands against the claustrophobic sensation of his hand upon her skin.

''Oh, but I do…'' Vincent slipped his fingers under the slim chain around her neck and eased her locket out from under her shirt. Rori couldn't bring herself to watch as he worked the catch and opened it to reveal the pictures inside. He let out a quiet yet victorious chuckle that seemed to reverberate around the room. There was a sharp sting of pain as he suddenly yanked the locket and the chain broke apart at the clasp behind her neck. Her eyes snapped open and she protested weakly as he clutched the jewellery tightly in his fist.

''Don't you know that secrets always come out in the end, Miss Jones?''

Her friend each turned looks of incredulousness and disbelief as Vincent showed them the contents of the locket; on the left, a picture of her mother and father on their wedding day and on the right, a picture of her and Raphael taken when they were teenagers. It was a black and white shot of them sitting together making ridiculous faces. There was no way of denying that the turtle in the photo in her locket was the same one upon the screen.

''Rori…the fuck?!''

''How could you not tell us?!''

Rori could feel the smug triumph emanating from Vincent and she couldn't stop herself from lashing out at him, hurling her body as far as it would go and kicking her legs wildly in a vain attempt to reach him.

''Why are you doing this? What do you want?!''

Vincent tossed her locket up and down in the air in a careless manner.

''You may think me cruel, Miss Jones, but I am merely a businessman trying to achieve successful results. Having you brought here was not something I anticipated in the beginning but, as I said before, your involvement with these mutants was just simply something I could not ignore. Their existence is something truly wondrous and represents a possibility for a power that, in my hands, could be used for absolutely magnificent things.'' He grinned excitedly at them, his face resembling that of a hyperactive child. ''Do you have any idea what people have done in the past to try and achieve something as fascinating as these creatures?''

''Yeah,'' Rori bit out, fury boiling up inside of her at his words. ''And somebody did it but look what happened. They were all destroyed by what their experiments created. Destroyed by their mad desire for power.'' She jerked her head towards the screen. ''Destroyed by them. So what makes you think you're going to be any different?''

Vincent's left eye twitched with concealed anger but he laughed again, tossing the locket up to snatch it from the air once more before he pocketed it. ''I assume you're referring to all that business with T.G.R.I and Oruku Saki. Rest assured, Miss Jones, what I am doing far surpasses what they were able to achieve. Although, regrettably, all information regarding the substance that resulted in the creation of your…associates is unobtainable since all of their experiments and data were erased after the forced closure of the company.'' He shook his head and gave a small shrug. ''Still, no matter. Now that I have these beings in my grasp, I can use their blood to fill in the missing pieces.''

''Missing pieces of what?'' Rosie whispered.

''I'm so glad you asked, Miss Hughes.''

Their eyes all snapped to the entrance to the room as the door swung open and a gaggle of people began to file in. Some appeared to be scientists while the others Rori recognised as the men that had attacked them the other night. Two of them were holding something large between them that was covered in a sheet while another was escorting a man with cuffs round his wrists and a hood over his head.

''What the fuck is going on…'' Ollie groaned, wriggling in his confines. ''This is some kind of bad dream! Any minute now, I'm going to wake up to my alarm going off, any minute…''

''Wishful thinking will get you nowhere, Mr Daily,'' Vincent crowed as he watched his minions take up various points in the room. The additional scientists immediately began to fuss with the contraption under the sheet, their bodies blocking Rori and the others from having a decent view of what it was. The other men, dressed in black and balaclavas as they had been before, flanked them on either side of the room. The man in the hood was roughly shoved into the centre of the room where he jerked and fidgeted on the spot. Over the sounds of tinkering, chemicals bubbling and the hushed voices of the scientists, there was a silence brimming with tension. Rori could feel the atmosphere tightening like a net and felt her skin prickle with trepidation.

''Now, let's get started…'' Vincent turned to face the screen once more and bent over the control panel to press a button. ''Franco, can you hear me?''

On the screen, the young cameraman looked up directly into the camera while the other prisoners turned to regard him with looks of confusion and growing fury.

''Join us in the next room.''

The faces of the turtles, April and Casey were all contorted in anger and disgust as they shouted at the grinning man, struggling furiously against their restraints to try and reach him. Four members of the Foot stepped forward to place restraining hands on them while another worked the bindings to enable Franco to ease out of them. The shouting was audible even before the door to the room began to slide open.

''How the hell could you do this?! I've worked with you, I trusted you!''

''Can't you see who you're involved with?!''

''I oughta pound your skull in for this, you traitorous little shit!''

At the sound of Raphael's voice, Rori let out an involuntary gasp. The urge to call out to him was almost too much to bear and she felt her tongue begin to form the letters of his name before a piercing look from Vincent halted her actions. Franco sashayed into the room with a smug swagger and the door dropped down again, muffling the furious shouts on the other side.

''Who's this guy?'' Dexter murmured.

''And who's the dude in the hood?'' Ollie added, nodding towards the eerily still figure standing nearby.

''Ahh, that would be Mr Jones.'' Vincent said coolly, having overheard Ollie's question.

''What?!'' Rori burst out in horror. ''Dad!'' she screamed out desperately, swinging uselessly against the wall. ''Dad!''

Mr Jones' shoulders gave a flinch and a shuddery twitch at the sound of her voice but otherwise, he didn't respond. Vincent barked out a raspy laugh while several of the men in the room chuckled unconvincingly along with him.

''He will not respond to you, my dear.''

''Why not?!'' Rori shrieked, her eyes glistening with furious tears. ''What did you do to him?''

''Merely asserted my control over our business relationship,'' Vincent said casually. ''It's very hard to achieve greatness when your associates don't hold the same visions as you do.''

''What the fuck are you talking about, you crazy psycho?!'' Dexter shouted, his cheeks slowly turning red. ''You can't just send your henchman after us, kidnap us and hold us prisoner like this!''

''Oh, but, evidently, I can,'' Vincent said, gesturing to them with a smile. ''I'm assuming you all have questions so allow me to tell you a little story…''

He stepped closer to them, once again filling their visions with his thin and conniving face. ''When his wife fell ill, Max began to work on a machine that he hoped would be able to reverse the effects of disease and decay within the human body. He came quite close to achieving his desired results over the three years that his wife was ill but sadly,'' he threw a mocking look of sympathy at Rori, ''he was unable to truly find any successful results in time to prevent her from being taken.''

As he spoke, Rori felt pain, piercing and heavy, settle heavily within her chest, rendering her breathless. She lifted her eyes to look at Raphael's image once more, remembering the day when everything changed, remembering that evening where he had been unable to soothe her tormented soul in the wake of losing her mother. She remembered his eyes, so full of concern and desperation and sadness for her, his arms holding her close, his rough demeanour falling away just enough to reveal his soft inner core that allowed him to drop all his defences and truly comfort her. There had been no jokes that night, no one armed hugs or fist bumps like usual, no hiding of tears or true feelings. There had only been him and her; she a quivering and whimpering wreck and he the very embodiment of strength and protection that sat beside her all the way through until the break of dawn.

''He had approached me within that time frame,'' Vincent continued, his voice still retaining a tone of sadness. ''He sought advice and methods that only I could provide, solutions that could lead him to what he was so desperately seeking. I obliged and together we began to collaborate and form ideas. Genius ideas, thoughts and plans that nobody else had ever dared to dream of before!''

Rori flinched back into the wall as Vincent animatedly threw his arms into the air, moving to pace around the quivering form of Max. ''We could have achieved true greatness! We worked on a level that was that of one mind, of two souls destined for true wonders coming together in a manner most beautiful…but your father,'' he looked at Rori and shook his head dramatically, ''began to have reservations. He believed that the latest methods that I was proposing were too dangerous, too full of error and horrible outcomes. At least, that's what he felt at first.''

''Oh, God,'' Rosie suddenly whimpered, horror dawning upon her face. ''Please…stop talking…you can't possibly mean what you're saying…''

''What? What is he saying?'' Ollie asked, twisting his head to look at Rosie. ''What is it?''

''Your mother's condition was not improving and, despite the assurances of doctors that they would do all that they could, your father and I both knew that her time was limited. We had an opportunity presented to us…naturally, we took it.''

''No…'' Rori whispered, coming to the conclusion that Rosie had already reached. ''No…you didn't…''

''Your mother was a willing subject, I assure you,'' Vincent said lamentingly. ''She, like anybody, did not want to die, especially in such a tragic manner. We were almost certain that we were on the right track and, like I had predicted, she began to respond well and we truly believed that we had achieved a breakthrough. I'm sure you remember a time in those three years where she seemed full of life and vitality once again.''

Rori did remember. She remembered the hope on her mother's face because it was the one that she knew was on her own. She remembered her belief that her mother would survive growing stronger with each day as her mother seemed to begin the transition back to her normal self.

''Then, much to our confusion, she started to become weaker and quickly, her condition began to deteriorate so we tried other substances, other formulas but nothing seemed to work. If anything, the disease only seemed to spread quicker each time and then-''

''YOU KILLED HER! YOU SON OF A BITCH!'' Rori screamed but her eyes were not upon Vincent but locked onto her father with a blazing hatred. ''YOU EXPERIMENTED ON HER LIKE SOME FUCKING ANIMAL AND YOU KILLED HER!''

Max's body jerked as though he had been shot and he crumpled to his knees with a whimper, his shoulders shaking under the force of his muffled sobs. Vincent was unable to hide the grin that was slowly sneaking onto his face.

''So consumed by guilt was your father that he vowed to complete his creation without my methods and broke apart our connection in order to pursue things his own way, determined to find some way of atoning for the sins that had blackened his soul and filled the his and his daughter's life with such anguish.''

''How could you….'' Rori cried weakly, unable to hold back the tears anymore as she sagged against the wall in defeat. Her friend's voices washed soundlessly over her, barely registering in her mind as she was consumed by the bitter realisation of what her father had done.

''He worked and worked and worked at it, as I did with my own project. However, I knew that my own desires could not be made a reality without the technology that your father had created so I had to think of way to convince him to join forces with me once again.'' Vincent clapped a hand onto Max's shoulder with a loud smack. ''I presented him with results that showed that my methods had achieved the outcome he was looking for without ramification or false positives…all fabricated of course, but it was enough to convince him to work with me once more. I knew it was only a matter of time before he would realise that I had lied to him but, by that time, it would be too late. I would have his technology and I would be in control.''

''You fucking bastards…'' Rori whispered, her voice wretched with pain.

Vincent tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing in scrutiny at Rori. ''I hadn't considered you though, Aurora. You were definitely a great surprise.''

''You used Rori to pressure Max into doing what you wanted,'' Rosie surmised in a quiet voice.

''Very astute, Miss Hughes,'' Vincent said with an impressed nod. ''Yes, I knew that threatening his daughter would be the only way to assure his full cooperation and, for a while, it worked. Then, Max began to grow careless with the things he said and the ways in which he acted around his daughter, and once she started to grow suspicious and ask questions, I knew it would be for the best if she was brought to me in order to prevent any…unwanted attention, shall we say.''

''Unwanted attention? The press were already reporting on your dodgy dealings with one another, how much more attention could you need?'' Dexter scoffed in a loathing tone.

''You mean that business with Miss O'Neil?'' Vincent snorted. ''I orchestrated that meeting because there were already suspicious and speculations about what was going on, therefore I felt it necessary to address them in order to prevent anybody from snooping around.'' He flicked a hand back towards the screen where April was wriggling around beside Casey. ''As you can see, that didn't go according to plan.''

Ollie jerked his head at Franco who was leaning casually against one of the workbenches, much to the chagrin of the scientists who were having to work around him as a result. ''What about Captain Cool over there? He was in there with the others before you called him out here.''

''After our meeting, I knew that Miss O'Neil was going to prove a problem so I approached Mr Franco, her assigned cameraman and offered him a substantial fee in exchange for some services.''

''What kind of services?'' Ollie asked suspiciously.

''To keep me informed on Miss O'Neil's intentions and plans. Naturally, when her employer requested another interview, I knew that she would use the opportunity to dig around for information so I intended to provide her with some. Information that would put a stop to her curiosity of the company. However, it seems that I put my faith in the wrong members of my staff yet again, because she stumbled upon something else entirely. Even without physical evidence, I knew that her mouth would be enough to arouse suspicion so, naturally, I had to prevent her from causing any problems. Still, that could have been prevented if my staff were able to carry out my instructions properly.''

A stocky man standing close to the crumpled form of Max shrank back with a sheepish expression, his prominent forehead turning a deep shade of red.

''So it is true then? You have been experimenting on people.'' Dexter accused hotly. ''What else could she have found that was so terrible?''

Vincent studied them all for a moment. ''I must say, you are quite the clever bunch, aren't you? And here I thought you would all bore me to death upon your awakening.'' He shook his head again. ''It is must tragic for you three though, for you are only here because of your friendship with Aurora. If you hadn't been with her this evening, you wouldn't be in this situation at all.''

Guilt burnt through Rori like acid, corroding her feelings and destroying her senses until it combined with the desolation she was already feeling and rendered her completely numb. It was true, her friends were only in this situation because of her. It was her fault. It was her fault that they were being held against their will with no sign of rescue or victory. It was her fault that Raphael, who had merely been trying to protect her and look out for her, had become tangled up in the danger surrounding her along with his family.

''Anyway, back to the original point,'' Vincent said, strolling to where the collection of scientists stood in the middle of the room. ''You asked me what the missing pieces were for, Miss Hughes. It can't come as any sort of surprise to you all that want I desire the most is power. To have power, you must have the resources to make people fear you and that is what I've been working on the last few years; a power that nobody will be able to question or ignore. However, my work has been fraught with mistakes and complications, shall we say, and only a few minor positive outcomes. The positive outcomes, although successful and useful in their own right, are not anywhere near what I want to achieve. However, this will change everything.''

The scientists dispersed like cockroaches fleeing in the wake of a light being flickered on. In the vacated area stood a contraption that resembled an assault rifle sitting on a tall and bulky tripod. It was shiny and silver in colour with a long muzzle. There was a vat of chemicals attached to the back and a keypad bearing bright buttons sticking out from the left side of the body of the machine.

Dexter let out a loud and defiant chuckle that seemed so out of place within the atmosphere of the room. ''I think you've been watching too many bad science fiction movies.''

Surprisingly, Vincent laughed, causing several of his henchman to jolt in shock. ''Perhaps you are right but let me assure you, no science fiction movie contraption can compare to what this can do. This is the secret that will be behind the success of Operation Lazarus, this is the very thing that will make me the most powerful man in the country and, soon, the world!''

''How?'' Ollie questioned, peering with disbelief at the machine.

''Isn't it obvious?'' Rosie hissed, her hair tumbling messily from her ponytail. ''He's been testing chemicals and experimenting on people with his own formulas and now that he has Mr Jones' machine, he can use it to enhance and shape the effects of the chemicals into something more powerful, something more to his liking.'' She turned her attention back to Vincent. ''But what can you create with that thing that will help you gain power over the world?''

The grin on Vincent's face was positively glowing with triumphant malice. ''Let me show you.''

He stalked back towards the control panel and pressed a button.

''Mr Grey, if you wouldn't mind…''

''_How many, Sir?''_

''Oh, I think four will do…''

''_Right away, Sir…''_

Whatever they had been expecting, it definitely didn't compare to the sight they were soon faced with. Half of the left side of the wall began to retract, taking with it the connected work stations and other experimental paraphernalia. It swivelled to the side much like a gigantic door and the scientists, momentarily perturbed at their work being whisked away from them in such an untimely manner, quickly began to move away and shuffle back into the room.

''God, this guy is like a damn supervillain,'' Dexter mused as they all stared into the ongoing blackness that had been revealed to them. ''All he's missing is the cheesy one liners.''

''Shut up!'' Rori snapped, finding her voice as the terror again began to twist through her insides. ''There's something there…''

Over the distant rumble of noise coming from the room that Raphael and the others were trapped in, there was another sound; a menacing growl that began to increase in frequency and number, as though there was more than one thing responsible. There was a sharp _flick_ before bright lights began to erupt within the darkness, shooting forth a blazing glow that made Rori whip her head to the side to shield her eyes. There was a moment of thunderous noise and movement that vibrated right through to Rori's core and then she inhaled sharply as breath, rancid and hot, hit against her in heavy bursts.

''Allow me to introduce you to some very close associates of mine, Miss Jones...''

Beside her, Rosie let out a scream of terror that set Rori's teeth chattering while Ollie and Dexter could only exclaim and cry out in their fear. Easing her eyes open, she found herself staring at a muscular chest covered in smatterings of matted brown fur. Trailing her gaze upwards, her jaw dropped and began to quiver as she found herself staring into a face bearing a long, snarling snout, yellow eyes and dripping fangs. She didn't need to take even half a glance to know that there were more creatures in the room; she could hear the ragged breathing, the clicking of claws and the padding of huge feet upon the floor.

''These are the results of my experiments; impressive to be sure but all complete failures.''

''Those people…you did this to them….'' Ollie whispered in a choked voice, closing his eyes as a bearlike beast sniffed hungrily at him.

Rosie let out a squeaky sob as a creature with long talons reached up to slowly rake them through her hair. Dexter could only clench his eyes shut and grit his teeth as something resembling a tiger snarled aggressively into his face.

''You are absolutely insane.'' Rori said, unable to tear her eyes away from the being in front of her. ''How could you do this…''

''Magnificent, aren't they?'' Vincent cooed with wonder. ''These are the results of my unrefined work. These creatures represent a future that will hold things more infinitely powerful than anything you could possibly imagine.''

''You said these were failures,'' Ollie said, swallowing loudly as he tried to steady his voice. ''Why?''

''Look at them, Mr Daily. While impressive and undoubtedly powerful, they lack the cognitive function and human characteristics that would make them truly unstoppable. I spent years trying to achieve the desired results; a combination of human and animal where the human brain function remains but the physical body is empowered by the strength and agility of some of the world's most powerful beasts, but each test resulted in failure after failure after failure.''

''Fuck…'' Dexter whispered, the full insanity of the situation dawning on him.

''My goal is to create a superhuman army comprised of such beings so that I can put my plan of domination into action without fear or worry of anything or anybody being able to challenge me. These creatures before you do not possess all the necessary qualities but, nonetheless, they have sense and strength enough to provide me some sort of service, as you can all see for yourselves. They are crude and quite mindless, much the same as an overgrown and vicious dog, but they can be instructed and controlled in a manner beneficial to me, for now at least. Now, with the technology provided by my dear friend Max, I will finally be able to achieve these results.''

Rori twisted her head to look at Vincent, who was fondly stroking the side of her father's machine as though it was a loyal pet.

''Unfortunately, the entire process has not been without its turbulence up to this point. Plenty of volunteers didn't survive long after the tests. Some perished as quickly as though they had been gunned down, some lasted for a few days before suffering fatal seizures while others morphed into wretched creatures that we had no choice but to destroy out of kindness.''

''Kindness? What would you know about kindness?!'' Rori suddenly screamed, causing the animal in front of her to jump back slightly with a fierce snarl. ''You've ruined the lives of innocent people by trying to play God just for your own selfish and crazy ends! You've destroyed so much and yet you just want more! Isn't what you've done enough?!''

Vincent slowly twisted his head to look at her. On the floor, Max made an attempt to get to his feet but was quickly struck down by one the henchman standing by. He fell to his knees pitifully and could only groan as Vincent's shiny shoes clacked rapidly on the ground as he stalked towards Rori with a look of blazing fury. The creature was all but elbowed out of the way as he reached out to grab her throat, slamming her head back against the wall so hard that stars burst across her vision.

''You really think I care one iota for your pathetic little opinions, Aurora? You think that I have any value for the lives of these creatures, or any care for their previous human selves? I only care about doing all that is necessary to get what I want, everything else is completely expendable and inconsequential.''

Rori choked against his tightening grip, feeling her stomach clench and her mouth become dry as she stared into his chilling eyes.

''It is quite fitting that you, the daughter of both my greatest friend and greatest foe, should be the first to be subjected to my new creation.''

Screams of horror and desperate pleas burst out from her friends at his words while Max cried out desperately for Vincent to reconsider and to take him instead. At that, Vincent released Rori's throat and stormed back towards Max, ripping his hood off to expose his bloody and beaten face.

''Take a good look at your beloved daughter, my friend, for this is the last time she will ever be this beautiful.''

''You absolute inhuman bastard!'' Max snarled, flinching at the piercing grip that Vincent had on his swollen chin. ''I'll make sure you fucking pay for this.''

Vincent laughed with delight. ''Oh, my dear Max, I really doubt that.''

He threw Max's face away from him and headed back towards the machine. Rori's hazel eyes locked with her father's brown ones and she couldn't help but gaze into their familiar warmth, wondering just what had happened to the man she had loved unconditionally for all of her life.

''Aurora…Darling, I'm so sorry…'' he breathed, his blood-stained teeth vibrant within the pallor of his face. ''I never meant for any of this to happen.''

''You killed her…you're the reason that for the last three years,'' she looked at him and felt a coldness she had never felt before, ''I've been an orphan.''

Max's head fell to the side as he began to sob horribly, his red face contorted into a horrendous mask of pain. Rori could feel the gazes of her friends upon her but she refused to look at them, shifting her attention to the screen to focus on Raphael's image once more. He looked incandescent with rage, his stance was stiff and rigid with tension and his mouth was set in a dead line while the others continued to seemingly talk around him. A silent laugh hitched out of her as Raph ducked his head to look down at Rocky, holding the dog's gaze in a way that seemed to offer reassurance enough to keep Rocky remaining beside him. In that moment, he was the most amazing thing in the world. With the prospect of death or worse staring her point blank in the face, she was suddenly glad that the last thing she would see with her own eyes was him.

Vincent, who had been fiddling with the machine, looked up and followed her gaze to the screen.

''This fondness that you evidently feel for one of those creatures…'' he turned to grin at her. ''I wonder if it'll grow when you are as much of an abomination to nature as they are.''

Rori took in a snivelling breath and held her gaze onto the screen, refusing to look elsewhere while her friends continued to plea for her life beside her. The other people in the room, henchman and scientist alike, simultaneously moved away to the sides, some poking and prodding the creatures within the room with poles so that they would be out of range of Vincent and his weapon. The creatures were loud and rambunctious in their movement but complied nonetheless.

''Any last words, my dear?''

Rori refused to look at him, fighting hard to keep her chin from trembling as hot tears began to leak from the corner of her eyes.

''Very well…''

As though he could sense something, Raphael's head swivelled towards the camera and he seemed to look directly into it with his intense stare.

_Raph…_

There was a clicking and fast whirring sound followed by the bubbling of chemicals, then a high pitched sound that began to increase in volume and then-

_Phewwwsshhhhh!_

As though a switch had been flicked, the room was plummeted into darkness that instantly induced chaos. The sound of the machine's inner workings was immediately cut off as Vincent's voice rang out, demanding answers and explanations. Shouts and confused voices whirled around the room as unseen bodies hurried to find a solution.

''Holy shit…What the fuck is going on?!'' Ollie hissed.

''Oh, man we need to get the hell outta here, right now!'' Dexter groaned, his voice strained as he pulled against his restraints.

''Rori? Rori, are you okay?'' Rosie cried, her foot knocking against Rori's leg.

There was no time for Rori to reply however as a commotion broke out from somewhere in the room. Like something whipping through the air at lightning speed, there was the sensation of things moving close by to them and then the shouts broke out, accompanied by a quick succession of something hitting flesh and something colliding with bone. The noise was deafening as groans of pain, violent swearing and the roars of the creatures filled the room.

''SOMEONE FUCKING TALK TO ME AND GIVE ME SOME ANSWERS! BULLARD, I DEMAND ANSWERS RIGHT NOW! GET THE GODDAMN LIGHTS BACK ON!''

As Rori turned to try and offer reassurance to a panicking Rosie, she stilled and let out a gasp of surprise as something wet and cold suddenly touched her leg through a rip in her tights. There was a swish of a breeze as something landed bodily nearby and then, softly yet reassuringly, a three fingered hand cupped her face, sending her heart rocketing against her ribs.

''Don't worry, Princess, I gotcha,'' Raphael's rough voice crooned into her ear.

Rori felt like she had been plunged into a well of instant relief and she could do nothing but nod weakly against the palm of his hand. Everything was going to be okay, she thought as he gave her cheek a soft swipe with his thumb before moving away. It was all going to be okay, they were going to be saved. She nudged her knee towards what she now knew to be Rocky, seeking comfort from her canine friend as he nuzzled his furry snout against her.

_It was all going to be okay…_

With a boom, the lights came back to life, exposing the madness within the room. The scientists were a cowering mess in one corner while several of the henchman were a broken mess in the other. Within the centre, standing just off to the side of Vincent, were the turtles, April, Casey and a giant rat that Rori knew to be Splinter. On the other side of Vincent, forming a strange semi-circle that half surrounded Vincent and half looped to flank the turtles, was the remaining members of the Foot Clan, the still conscious henchman and the snarling creatures.

''This cannot be real…'' Dexter whispered, staring in complete disbelief at the turtles.

''It's definitely real,'' Rori reassured him, watching the tense standoff with baited breath.

A smashing sound to the side alerted them to the presence of Franco who was cowering beneath one of the workbenches that hadn't been taken away by the revolving section of the wall, surrounded by ripped wires and smoking chemicals that had been spilled on the floor during the blackout.

''Coward,'' Dexter snarled.

''Shh!''

''Well, this is certainly interesting,'' Vincent mused as he studied his guests with a bemused smile. ''It seems I was misguided in my belief that a clan of trained ninjas could hold you at bay.''

''We're also trained ninja, dumbass.'' Mikey retorted, twirling his nunchaku almost playfully. ''Plus, we've beaten these guys tons of times in the past.''

''Evidently.'' Vincent commented, eyeing them all with interest. ''I must say, you are quite magnificent. I shall greatly enjoy unearthing all the secrets within you that will tell the story of your power and creation.''

''Not likely.'' Donnie snapped, glaring at him with disdain. ''What you have done is a crime against humanity.''

''And what would you know about humanity?'' Vincent sneered.

''A great deal more than you, it would seem.'' Leonardo replied, starting at him coldly.

''We may not be physically human, nor have we lived in the human world,'' Splinter said softly, ''but we have spent our lives living by what is right and what is wrong and acting accordingly with honour within the realms of those teachings. You have besmirched the name of humanity and corrupted your soul in a way that is truly unforgiveable, for you have destroyed the innocent lives of others.''

Vincent levelled his gaze at Splinter. ''I believe I'll enjoy dissecting you the most, rat.''

Splinter threw out his cane in front of Raphael as the hot-headed turtle made to storm forward with a ferocious snarl.

''You're gonna pay for what you've done here. Now let 'em go before I rip your damn head off.''

Vincent smirked and Rori could almost see the lightbulb go off above his head.

''Ahh, I believe it is you that shares the connection with our lovely Aurora.''

Raphael didn't answer and merely continued to glare murderously at him.

''Then I suppose it would you that I direct this ultimatum to,'' Vincent surmised. ''Surrender to me and I will let her go free, or fight me and bring about her transformation into something unworldly.''

Raphael growled in pure anger at the man, his fists wrapping tighter around his weapons.

''We don't deal in ultimatums,'' Leonardo said coolly, brandishing his swords in a threatening manner. ''We will all be leaving while you will be made to face up to the crimes that you have committed.''

''You don't say,'' Vincent said sarcastically. ''And how is it that you've come to that conclusion?''

April glared at him. ''I was bugged when I came here. Everything I saw was recorded and streamed to a computer and has been sent to the authorities. They'll be here soon, I expect.''

At the dawning horror appearing on Vincent's face, Casey chuckled. ''Hope you look in good in striped pyjamas, bub, 'cos you're gonna be goin' away for a long time.''

Vincent trembled on the spot, his thin face turning almost purple with rage. Without a word, he plunged a shaking hand into the inside of his jacket from which he wrenched out a gun. Before anybody could react, he turned and fired a shot directly into Max's chest. Rori let out a scream and Raphael instantly lunged for Vincent, only to be met with a sea of Foot ninja that the others immediately ploughed forward to meet in a clashing of weapons. As the fighting resumed, Rori gaped as her father turned his face towards her, his eyes wide with shock and fear. There was a flower of red blooming rapidly on his shirt and already fat drops of blood were beginning to fall to the ground.

''Rori…''

''Dad…Daddy, no-''

She cried out as he toppled forward to lay motionlessly on the floor in front of her.

''Dad! Get up!'' She screamed.

Rocky stepped forward and shunted Max's shoulder with his nose, whining in confusion as the man did not move a muscle. Rori turned her distraught gaze to Vincent who was flanked by two of his henchman as the fighting raged around him. He looked at the fallen form of his old colleague with the barest hint of interest before directing his attention to the machine once more.

''No! NO PLEASE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!''

''PLEASE!''

The sound of frantic shouting caught Raphael's attention as he dodged the swing of a gigantic paw and swirled on the spot to try and see what was happening. His eyes zoned in on Vincent working the controls of the machine before quickly darted to Rori with quick understanding. She looked at him and called out something but he couldn't hear it over the roaring panic within his own head. Without thinking, he sheathed his weapons and lurched forward, crossing the room at a frantic pace as he heard the machine quickly power up.

''Raph! What are you doing?!''

''Raphael!''

''Wait, Raph-NO!''

The room was full of collective cries of horror and surprise as Vincent let out a laugh of victory. There was a final whir and then, with an electric crackle of sound, he fired the weapon.

* * *

_Blooodyyyyyyy hell that was long haha. I hope you enjoyed it, it's not my best I know, but I'm literally so excited for what's coming up! See you at the next chapter! Thanks for reading!  
_


	8. Chapter 8

_Hello, friends! Hope you are all well. I'm so sorry this has taken longer than usual to get out, I've just been so swamped with work and coursework lately-studying as an adult is way more difficult than studying as a teenager, unfortunately, which I think is party down to the fact that the textbooks aren't as interesting! Anyway, apologies again, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter. It's not great in terms of pacing wise, which has never been my strong point really, but I'm just glad to be getting to the parts that I really want to write :D Thanks again to those who have reviewed so far, especially those of you who do it on a regular basis, it really means so much to me. To all the readers, as there seems to be quite a few of you according to my traffic, thank you for reading my story and, if you have the time, please review :)_

_Apologies for any mistakes!_

_Disclaimer: All things turtle related do not belong to me, unfortunately!_

* * *

A beam, bright as lightning and as loud as thunder, burst forth from the muzzle of the gun with a ferocious speed. Rori barely had time to take in the sight of it bearing towards her before she clenched her eyes shut and twisted her head away with a weak cry, bracing herself for the inevitably painful hit.

''Raph-NO!''

Rori's eyes snapped open and she looked round in time to see Raphael jump in front of her. She couldn't even summon a scream as the beam struck him directly in the centre of his shell and he was immediately engulfed in a blazing light. Instantly, Raphael's face morphed into a mask of furious agony and he let out an uncontrollable groan of pain that seemed to restore the volume in Rori's voice, letting her scream out for Vincent to stop. Vincent, though clearly surprised by Raphael's actions, merely crowed with delight and did not cease his actions, grinning triumphantly at Rori. Rocky barked furiously and circled the area in front of Rori uncertainly, unsure of what to do for their suffering friend. The room was a sea of insanity as her friends screamed beside her and the turtles struggled furiously to get past the ceaseless swarm of ninja and mutated monsters fighting against them. Donatello made a wild dive for a wildly cackling Vincent only to be sent crashing to the floor by a vicious swipe from the bearlike creature and April was sent careening into Casey as she tried to duck and dive through the mess to reach the machine. Rori's eyes burned as she watched Raphael struggle to remain standing, his teeth bared in a clenched snarl and his feet pressing heavily against the floor in a search for some sort of solid purchase.

''Raph!'' she cried weakly, her voice breaking with desperation.

His eyes opened a fraction and he looked up, catching her horrified and heartbroken gaze. To her absolute disbelief, he gave her the smallest of reassuring smiles before his golden eyes fell shut once more and he finally sunk to his knees, unable to fight against the weight of the pain any longer. From the position he was in, Rori could see the cracks forming on his shell like spider webs. To see him so vulnerable and in such pain instilled a furious desperation within her that caused her chest to ache from the tension.

''PLEASE!'' she managed to yell, her voice reaching over the sound of the ongoing chaos. ''STOP! You're killing him! Please! I'LL DO ANYTHING!''

''You're doing exactly what I want you to do, my dear!'' Vincent called back, grinning in unbearable delight. ''You're watching me win!''

His laughter, wild and maniacal, was abruptly silenced as Michelangelo came flying seemingly out of nowhere and launched himself into Vincent, catapulting the shocked man, the machine and a nearby henchman through the air. The beam was immediately cut off, allowing Raphael to fall forward with a low groan. His body hit the floor with a heavy thud and he lay beside the fallen form of Rori's father in a motionless heap.

''Raph! RAPH! GET UP!'' Rori wailed, staring down in dismay at her unmoving friend.

Her voice was drowned out by the ongoing chaos in the room and the livid voice of Vincent that rang shrilly throughout the room. As Michelangelo hit the ground with Vincent and the furiously swearing henchman, the machine fractured into several pieces. Vincent, seemingly unhurt from the fall, let out a high scream of rage and grabbed frantically at the pieces.

''NOO! YOU DISGUSTING FREAK! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!''

Michelangelo moved to grab him but was promptly set upon by several Foot ninja and he disappeared under a sea of black. Vincent hurtled to his feet and stumbled towards the console, slamming his hand down onto the intercom button.

''GREY! SEND ME THE OTHERS!''

''_But, Sir-''_

''NOW!''

As Leo and Donnie rushed to their brother's aid, flanked by Casey and Splinter who ducked and dodged the oncoming attacks of three of the creatures, April darted across the length of the room like a blur of red lightning, narrowly evading the wolf hybrid dogging her heels. Franco, who had been slowly easing out from his hideout beneath the workbench, gave a startled squawk as April seized him by the arms and threw him behind her. He flew directly into the path of the creature, flapping his arms in an attempt to stop himself from colliding with it to no avail. With a sickening crunch, they crashed into one another and flew back into the workbench with such force that it broke on impact. April, completely forgotten about in the ensuing madness, was free to reach the wall where Rori and the others were still struggling for freedom.

''Hang on, there's a panel here with the release button…'' she said as she stood beside Ollie and fiddled with the controls embedded in the wall. ''There!''

Rori let out a startled yelp as the cuffs vanished from around her wrists, dropping her to the floor. Without hesitation, she hurried forward to the prone forms of Raphael and her father, her hands hovering over them both in uncertainty. As her friends and April huddled beside her, the sound of heavy footsteps and deep snarls drew their attention to the entrance from where the four creatures had come through before, only this time the sight that met their eyes was more horrific. Eight more monsters, huge and frothing with bloodthirsty excitement, filed into the room and made a beeline for the melee that was taking place in the middle of the room.

''We need to get the fuck outta here, man!'' Dexter groaned, raking his hands through his hair anxiously.

Rori looked helplessly between Raphael and her father, the panic rising up within her like a tidal wave until her breathing began to come in short, strained bursts. She watched helplessly as April's hand moved to the side of her father's neck and rested there for a few seconds.

''I…I can't find a pulse…''

As the words came out of April's mouth, a shrill ringing began to echo inside Rori's head. She had experienced intense hatred and worry for her father all in such a short space of time and now, she felt that she didn't have enough emotion left within her to fully react to what April was telling her. She felt strangely detached, as though the man lying dead on the floor was nothing but a stranger to her, not the man who had raised her all her life. Long gone was the man who had told her stories and kissed away the pain of her cuts and bruises; in front of her lay a man who had surrounded her with lies and deceit for so long that she truly had no idea who he was anymore.

Without thought, her hand reached out to rest on Max's shoulder, her fingers digging into the skin that was still warm beneath the shirt. The ringing was still echoing inside her head, deafening her to the sudden shouts of her friends.

''Rori-RORI, LOOK OUT!''

Rori let out a choked scream as a gnarled hand wrapped itself around her neck and hoisted her high into the air. She immediately clawed at the arm the hand was attached to, gasping for breath as the hold upon her neck increased in pressure.

''I told you that we would be playing many games together.''

The voice, although deeper in tone and deadlier than before, was unmistakeable and Rori stared in horror into a pair of icy blue eyes.

''K-Kingsley?''

The monster before her resembled something akin to a reptile; its skin was comprised of hardened scales and the structure of its face was rounded and smooth like that of a snake. Sharp, glistening fangs were bared at her in a menacing grin and a forked tongue poked out from between them to wiggle obscenely at her. While somewhat reptilian in his general appearance, there was still enough of the human left intact for Kingsley to be able to stand on two clawed feet, his leathery chest rising and falling rapidly with barely contained excitement.

''So flattered that you recognise me,'' he hissed at her. ''I've been waiting to get my hands on you…''

''LET HER GO!''

A tail, thick as a tree trunk, swept out from behind Kingsley at lightning speed to collide with heavily with Ollie, hurling him back into the wall with a vicious smacking sound. As he slumped unconsciously to the floor, Rocky let out a ferocious snarl and leapt at Kingsley, startling the mutant enough to send him reeling backwards to avoid Rocky's snapping jaws. Rori was whirled bodily through the air, the claws of Kingsley's hand digging further into her neck so that she could no longer breathe.

''Let go of her!'' April yelled, leaping up onto Kingsley's back and wrapping her arms around his wide scaly neck, eliciting an angry roar from the reptilian being.

Rocky dropped back onto his paws before ramming himself into Kingsley's legs, barking loudly. Kingsley wobbled precariously before his tail lashed out again, catching Rocky in the side and sending him flying into Raphael's crumpled form with a horrible yelp. Kingsley reached his other hand behind his head and seized April by her hair and she screamed as he lifted her up with it.

''I'm gonna make sure you two suffer-ARGH!''

A hockey stick collided with a sickening crunch against the back of his head, causing him to drop Rori and April to the ground. April scrambled to her feet and hooked her arms around Rori's shoulders, drawing the groaning girl to her feet and backing up towards the wall as the turtles, Casey and Splinter moved to surround them, holding out their weapons towards the approaching swarm of ninjas and monsters. Dexter and Rosie held an unconscious Ollie between them and pressed themselves defensively against him, fear evident on their faces.

''We need a plan!'' Donatello announced loudly, dropping down to his heels beside Raphael and resting a hand on his brother's brow in concern.

''Working on it!'' Leo retorted, his eyes locked firmly on Kingsley as the giant mutant moved in closer.

''Hey…Rori?''

Rori, clutching onto a heavily panting Rocky, lifted her head to find herself staring into Donatello's brown eyes. Her voice, rendered useless by the crushing pressure of Kingsley's grip, came out in a soundless whisper and she clutched at her neck in dismay.

''You don't need to talk, just…we need to run, are you guys able to do that?''

Rori looked over at her Dexter and Rosie who nodded, hoisting Ollie into a secure position upon Dexter's back. Turning her gaze back to Donnie, she nodded in affirmation. The purple banded turtle regarded her carefully.

''We…we have to leave your…we have to leave Max behind. I'm sorry but he's…you understand?''

Rori stared at him, not quite able to comprehend his words. An arm curved around her shoulders and April's face came into view.

''He's right, Rori. We need to move quickly, we need to help Raphael, you know that, right?''

Her voice, kind yet authoritative, did hardly anything to soothe the conflict suddenly raging inside Rori's head. Her father was gone, it was obvious, but how could she just leave him here?

''There's nothing you can do for him.''

''I know that!'' Rori silently snapped, her hazel eyes shining with frustration. She wanted to be free of caring, to feel the burning hatred she had felt for her father earlier; that would make it so much easier to accept what she was being told, to leave him behind as though he didn't matter. He had betrayed her, lied to her, deceived her and done things beyond all imagining and yet…

She turned her head to look at Raphael. The sight of him caused a sharp pain within her heart; he had sacrificed himself to save her from a fate that she couldn't even bear to imagine and how was she repaying him? By flailing uselessly in her own turbulent thoughts while he lay in need and his family fought to save them all.

With a steely stare, she nodded once more at Donatello and his face morphed into a copy of her own determined expression. With a returned nod, he slowly eased Raphael up from the floor, ducking round to hoist his brother up over his shell. April stepped back and motioned for Dexter and Rosie to come closer, hooking her arm through Rosie's who in turn clung to Dexter's shoulder. Donatello glanced back at them before facing forward again.

''Ready whenever you are, Leo.''

''I HOPE YOU'RE NOT THINKING OF RUNNING!''

Vincent's voice, high with insanity, rang out across the room, bringing everyone to a silent standstill. Dishevelled with a bright glint of madness in his eyes, he stood in the centre of the room and surveyed them all with a smirk.

''I must say, even though you have all acted in such an unbecoming manner and caused such disruption to my plans, this evening has definitely been full of some very interesting developments.'' His eyes narrowed slightly at Michelangelo. ''However, the destruction of the machine is something that I cannot forgive. I had intended to keep you….creatures alive even after I had sampled your blood as I felt you could be useful to my plans. However, it appears that you are all simply more trouble than you are worth which had led me to the conclusion that death, for all of you, is really the only option.'' His gaze moved onto Rori who flinched back slightly. ''Except for you, my dear. Oh yes, I have very big plans for you.''

''You won't get anywhere near her, man,'' Casey barked, clutching his hockey stick tightly.

''You can still make the right decision here, Mr Vincent,'' Splinter said, stepping forward to engage the man, paying no mind to the array of ninja and monsters surrounding them. ''Enough lives have been ruined by your actions, there is no need to cause any more destruction, surely?''

Vincent sidled up to Splinter with a confident swagger and looked down at the rat with an expression of curiosity mixed with disgust. Splinter stared back up at him with a passive expression, his dark eyes giving away nothing. Vincent slowly began to move in a circle around Splinter, his shiny black shoes clicking loudly on the floor as he studied the rat from every angle.

''You…are something quite remarkable. Repulsive but undoubtedly remarkable. How is it that you and your…family,'' he spat the last word out as though it tasted bad, ''have gone undiscovered for so long? Beings as extraordinary as yourselves should not hide away in darkness.''

''And what would have been the alternative? Me exposing myself and my sons to the world only to be misunderstood and exploited by men such as yourself?'' Splinter replied. ''We are ninja, we live in the shadows and we protect the innocent from those who would do them harm. We live by a code of honour and humility which is something you are clearly lacking in.''

Vincent let out a high laugh and clapped his hands together with glee. ''Amazing! Truly astounding! Ohhh, it's such a shame that you all have to die because you really are something incredible. Although, I suppose there's nothing stopping me from having some fun with you all beforehand…''

''You will not a lay a hand on any of us.'' Splinter said firmly. ''We will be leaving and you will be brought to account for what you have done.''

''Oh, my furry little friend, you are so mistaken.'' Vincent cooed, sweeping an arm out to gesture towards the others. ''You are all mine to do with what I wish and-''

An alarm began to sound loudly, piercing the air with a deafening wail. Rori kept hold of Rocky's collar as she stumbled to her feet, looking around in confusion like the others.

''BULLARD!''

Bullard stumbled forward and hurried over to the console where he frantically slapped and punched at various buttons.

''Grey!'' he snarled into the intercom. ''What the fuck is happening?!''

''_The police have…the main lobby…fire on lower and upper floors…''_

Bullard punched the button in frustration at the distorted voice. ''Grey! Damnit, what are you saying?!''

The screen above him began to flicker and flash with grainy images before coming into focus. The screen was split in half, the top half showing a crowd of police, some heavily armed, hurrying into the building while the other showed a fire billowing furiously along a hallway.

''What the hell have you done, Grey?!''

''…_needed to be done! I'm-''_

''Grey!''

''_GET OUT NOW!''_

Bullard turned to face Vincent with a gaping jaw, his eyes wide with panic. Vincent remained rooted on the spot, his thin face rapidly turning a livid shade of purple. The Foot and the numerous henchman began to murmur and shift in confused anticipation, waiting for instructions as the alarm continued to blare.

''Sir!''

Life flew back into Vincent's face. ''SEIZE THEM!''

''NOW!''

With a yell, Leo, Mikey and Casey ploughed forward into the startled enemy like a battering ram, cutting a path through that Donatello and the others immediately followed. Rori kept a tight hold of Rocky as she ran forward, taking one last glance at her father before April slapped a hand on her back and pushed her on. Splinter, with a furious swipe of his tail, smacked Vincent fiercely in the side and sent him skidding across the floor to where Franco still lay beside the unconscious wolf creature. The fake cameraman took one look at the insane man groaning beside him and bolted to his feet, attempting to follow the others, only to be seized around the ankle by Vincent. His cries of protest went unheard over the alarm as Splinter pushed open the door and hustled everybody out, waiting until everybody was out before stepping out and closing the door with a slam.

''Quick, block the door!'' Donnie barked.

''With what?!'' Mikey snapped, gesturing to the empty hallway that was beginning to fill with smoke.

''Here!'' Casey barged forward and slotted a hockey stick through the door handle. Immediately, the door bulged forward as weight pushed on it from the other side. ''That ain't gonna hold 'em long! Let's book!''

''What way? How are we going to get out of here?'' Dexter asked, glancing up and down the hallway for answers.

''We're in the lower part of the building,'' April yelled, already running towards the left end of the hall. ''Beneath the main lobby so the parking lot should only be a few floors below!''

''Why the hell has that jackass started fires?!'' Casey snapped as they hurried after her, already coughing in the ever thickening smoke that followed them from the opposite end of the hall.

''To delay the police and buy time,'' Donnie wheezed, his face glistening with sweat from bearing Raphael's dead weight.

''Fat lot of good that'll do them seeing as the police have got all the stuff from April's camera feed,'' Mikey snorted, assisting Donatello through the door to prevent him from accidentally catching Raph's head on anything. As they entered the stairwell, there was a faint but distinct crackling sound over the alarm that was accompanied by a plume of smoke rising up the stairs.

''We must proceed quickly and with caution,'' Splinter said, already wrapping the top of his robe up and over his snout. ''You must-''

''Ughhh, put me down for christsake, ya smell like a damn bonfire.''

''Raphael!''

Rori felt her heart fly into her mouth as Leonardo gripped hold of Raphael's shoulders and helped him into a standing position, bracing a hand against his brother's plastron to steady him. Raphael blinked dazedly and rubbed his head before staring around in angry confusion.

''Okay, why the hell are we still in this goddamn place?!''

''Are you alright?''

''Bro, I'm so glad you're okay!''

As his family, April and Casey swarmed and bombarded him with questions and touches, Rori stumbled back with an exhale of relief, leaning into Rosie who quickly reached out to steady her. He was okay, he was alive…

''Christ, my shell is absolutely killin' me…''

''Donnie can patch you up, just as soon as we get out of here,'' Leo said, patting his brother gently on the shoulder. He eyed the thickening cloud of smoke above them with concern. ''Something tells me that it isn't going to be a simple escape.''

''We don't have a choice,'' Donnie said, moving towards the top of the stairs. ''We need to move quick and fast or risk being cooked alive, captured by the authorities or killed by the madman down the hall.''

As Donnie and Leo began to deliberate on a plan, Raphael lifted his head and his eyes landed on Rori. He stepped forward just as she did and reached out to hold onto her upper arms, his gaze scanning her all over.

''You alright?''

Rori nodded quickly, wanting to ask him the same. His face, furrowed with concealed pain, softened slightly as she tried to rasp out the words but couldn't, grimacing from the pain in her throat. His hand rose up and gently traced the necklace of bruises on her skin and she inhaled shakily, goosebumps breaking out all over her.

''I hate to break this up,'' Leo's voice broke awkwardly but firmly through the moment, ''but we need to move. Now.''

Raph and Rori stepped back from one another, heads ducked down in sudden bashfulness. The air was now thick with unanswered questions as well as smoke. The awkward silence was quickly broken by Leonardo. ''Right, everybody stick close together. Cover your faces and keep as low as possible.'' He gestured to Dexter who was bent over wearily, his grip on Ollie's legs slackening. ''Do you want one of us to take him?''

Dexter immediately squared his shoulders and hoisted his friend higher, glaring at them all defiantly as though expecting one of them to challenge him. ''No, thanks. I've got him.''

Rori wanted to punch him for acting so ridiculous but the sudden sounds of nearby shouting caught everybody's attention.

''That's our cue to get moving, people!'' Mikey stated, quickly encircling Dexter and Rosie and hustling them down the stairs after Leo and Donnie, followed closely by Splinter and April. Casey flanked Raphael's side as he placed a hand firmly against Rori's back and propelled her along, already breathing roughly against the smoke. Rori kept a firm hand around Rocky's collar, keeping the canine close to her side as they hurried along. They stumbled down two flights of stairs, all wincing and hacking at the growing clouds of smoke that were rising up from below. Ahead of the group, Leo stumbled back through the door he had just stepped through, coughing harshly and bringing with him more smoke. Donnie immediately slammed the door shut to block some of the smoke and bent down to look into Leo's face.

''It's…too much…can't see a thing…''

Donnie patted his shell, glancing upwards as more screaming and shouting echoed down. ''We don't have a choice. Through this door is the hallway that leads to the parking lot, right?''

April nodded behind the top of her jacket, her eyes watering so much that tears were pouring down her face. ''There's a stairwell at the other end that leads straight down into it. We go any further down here and we'll just be heading into some basements.''

''How are we supposed to get out of here if the way out is on fire?!'' Rosie demanded in a muffled voice, wheezing behind the scarf she had tied around her face.

Mikey and Raphael looked at one another and a decision seemed to past between them. Mikey approached Rosie with a somewhat sheepish expression on his face. ''We're gonna carry you outta here, but…can you give me permission to…touch you?'' He held up his hands as Rosie and Dexter fixed him with incredulous stares while Raphael snorted. ''I'm only asking so I don't get slapped or anything!'' He turned to Dexter and held out his arms. ''Or I can carry your buddy, but either way, all of you are getting carried.''

Behind them, April let out a squawk of protest as Casey swung her up over his shoulders as though she weighed no more than a bag of sugar. He angled his head away slightly from the heel of her kicking feet and gestured his head impatiently. ''Can we get a move on before we all choke to death?''

Dexter glanced between Mikey and Rosie. ''You better not drop her.''

Mikey grinned. ''C'mon, brah. I'm a ninja; I got skills.''

He wiggled his fingers encouragingly at Rosie who slowly held out a hand to place in his. With impressive speed, he swept her up from the floor and held her in a secure position against his plastron. Dexter accepted Donnie's help in relinquishing his hold upon Ollie and watched with protective eyes as Donnie hooked his arms securely around the unconscious man. Leonardo stepped forward, his eyes darting in uncertainty between Dexter and Splinter. The old rat held up a paw and waved it in dismissal at his eldest son.

''Do not worry about me, Leonardo. I am quite able to take care of myself.''

''But, sensei…''

''I will be fine, my son.''

The firmness in his father's voice made Leonardo stand slightly taller and turn to Dexter without any more hesitation. Dexter eyed him sceptically. ''You really gotta carry me?''

Leo held out a hand. ''Only because we can move faster.''

''Says who?''

''Stop acting like such an idiot, Dexter! We don't have time for to worry about your masculinity being threatened, now hurry up!'' Rosie snapped.

Dexter glowered at her before gripping hold of Leo's arm, allowing the turtle to whirl him around and up onto his shell. He hooked a hand around each of Dexter's feet and held on firmly while Dexter automatically looped his arms around Leo's shoulders. As everybody covered themselves as best as they could, Rori felt Raphael move beside her and she looked up into his face.

''C'mon. Let's get the hell outta here.''

Unable to make her raspy voice heard clearly, Rori pointed at Rocky. Raph glanced down at the dog who wagged his tail slightly in return. He sighed and turned a fierce glare onto Rori. ''You better hold on as tightly as you can, got it?''

Rori nodded and felt a swell of emotion for her friend as he bent down and lifted the dog up into his arms, grimacing as Rocky immediately attempted to lavish his face with wet slobbery kisses. Rori carefully climbed up Raphael's shell, squeezing his shoulders in apology when she brushed against the cracks and caused him to hiss in pain. By now, the area was rapidly filling with smoke and the shouts above them were growing louder.

''Ready?'' Leo asked, placing his foot against the door.

Everybody nodded and took a simultaneous breath as Leo kicked the door open and burst forward, the others hot on his tail. The air was suffocating with heat and the scent of acrid smoke was unbearable, buffeting against them like a vicious tidal wave as they hurtled blindly through the burning hallway. The crackling of nearby flames was unmistakeable and almost deafening in its ferocity, dampening the senses all the more as the group began to lag and stumble in their escape.

''Leo!'' Mikey rasped, coughing heavily. ''Leo! Donnie! I can't see anything!''

''Rosie!''

''It's okay, just keep going!''

''Come on, keep movin' forward!''

Rori reached over and dug a hand into Rocky's thick fur as he whined loudly and wriggled frantically in discomfort. She could feel her feet slipping against the sweat upon Raphael's leg and tried to get a tighter grip. Horror flipped her stomach upside down as she completely lost her grip and fell back, her head hitting the floor with a heavy thud. Pain burst like a balloon within her skull and she clutched her forehead, struggling to get to her feet as she heard the footsteps of the others rapidly dying away. Her throat burned and ached with agony as she coughed against the smoke, unable to take in any air. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to crawl along the floor, unable to see more than a few inches in front of her face. The heat was unbearably close, pressing in on her with such heaviness that she could barely move. Raphael hadn't felt her slip away, and the others had barely been able to find the way out, so how was there any possibility that they would find her in time? Come to think of it, why would they want to plough back into the danger to save her? Why should they risk their lives to come back for her when it was because of her that all of this had happened?

She collapsed onto her side, a breathless bundle of sweat and tears. In front of her hazy vision, she could make out the edges of her tattoo sticking out from the rip in the sleeve of her top. The words echoed in her mind and sent a wretched feeling of failure whirling through her. She was no more the master of her fate than she was the captain of her soul; she had been unable to do a single thing to stop any of this from happening and now, she was going to die alone and pathetic in a hallway of a building that belonged to the man that had destroyed her family.

Her friends, would they miss her? Would they blame her for what they had been through? Would they mourn her or be glad that they were now rid of the girl that had brought such madness and danger into their lives? And Raphael…she hadn't even had the chance to thank him for saving her life, for always being there to save her in some way or another. Knowing that she wouldn't look at his face another time, hear his voice again or feel the comfort of his presence beside her, brought fresh tears to her eyes that had nothing to do with the smoke.

God, she couldn't die here. Not like this, not here…please not here…not without saying goodbye…

From somewhere nearby, above the harsh snapping of the flames, she could hear a racket of unfamiliar voices drawing closer. As she struggled to twist her body across the floor in an attempt to move, the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps from had her blindly flailing like a fish out of water, soundlessly screaming out a defiant protest to whoever had come to finish her off.

''Rori! _RORI!''_

''Raph!'' she cried hoarsely, waving her hand blindly through the hazy air. From behind, the sound of a door flying open followed by loud voices and ferocious snarling rang out.

''DON'T JUST STAND THERE!'' Vincent's voice cried. ''FIND THEM!''

Terror had barely began to take hold of Rori's senses before a hand, rough and calloused, seized hold of her hand and hauled her up through the air as though she were weightless. Strong arms curled around her and pulled her flush against a hard plastron.

''I gotcha, it's okay-''

''I SEE ONE!''

A gunshot broke through the air and a bullet bounced off the ceiling before disappearing into the flames. Rori ducked her face into Raphael's shoulder as he turned on his heel and ran, his chest heaving from trying not to cough. Another gunshot grazed off his shell, narrowly missing his shoulder by mere inches.

''COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARDLY MONSTROSITY!''

''Dude, come on, come on!''

Michelangelo's voice came from nearby and Rori felt hands pass over her to grip Raphael's upper arms and yank him forward before the doors were closed and blocked up behind them. Clearer air began to rush over her as Raph moved forward and she took a deep, shuddering breath before coughing into her sleeve. She opened her eyes to see the vast parking lot, lit only by a few sparse lights upon the high ceiling. The group were crowded around two vehicles and appeared to be arguing in the midst of a few bouts of light coughing. The arguing ceased for a moment as Dexter and Rosie caught sight of Rori and hurried forward to grab her from Raphael's arms, wrapping her in an embrace while Rocky jumped up at her in excitement.

''C'mon, we're getting out of here.'' Dexter ordered, all but yanking her towards his beat up car that was parked a few feet away from the news van. One of the doors was open and Rori could see Ollie draped out on the back seat.

''Wait-what?'' Rori croaked, pulling back just as Raphael reached out to propel Dexter away from her with a small shove. Rocky planted himself firmly in front of Rori and began to growl menacingly, his hackles raised up on the back of his neck.

''Are you whacked? You guys can't just drive outta here an' expect that to just be it!''

''This is beyond stupid!'' Dexter's snapped. ''He's hardly going to come to our houses looking for us!''

''Look, man-'' Casey tried to appease, only to find Dexter's finger in his face.

''I don't know any of you! Who the hell are you to tell me that I can't go home? I'm taking my car and my friends and I'm going home where I'll go to sleep and wake up tomorrow, and all of this and all of you will just seem like a bad dream.''

Rosie covered her face with her hands and shook her head in dismay.

''Did you not hear a word I said a minute ago?'' Leonardo asked coldly, squaring up to Dexter who glowered venomously at the slightly taller turtle. ''Were you not paying attention upstairs? That man will stop at nothing to get what he wants; do you really think he plans to let any of us live after all of this? We can't protect you if you don't listen to us.''

''Am I the only one who saw that huge group of police coming into the building?! We don't need protecting because they'll arrest him!''

''Oh, sure,'' Casey chortled. ''That'll definitely happen, once the cops take down all those goddamn monsters running around upstairs! Face it, evidence or not, the cops ain't gonna win this fight tonight which means we gotta save our own skins and get the hell outta dodge.''

The doors behind them began to rock and wobble as furious weight and pressure was applied from the other side, accompanied by a multitude of yelling and ferocious animalistic roaring. The sound of rapid gunfire could be heard in the distance and everybody looked at one another with mounting unease.

''We do not have time to argue about this now,'' Splinter said, stepping between Leo and Dexter. ''We are dealing with things beyond our control or comprehension so, for now at least, it would be advisable for us all to retreat to a place where we will not be discovered.''

''Won't we be safe at the lair?'' Mikey asked with a frown.

Splinter shook his head. ''We cannot risk him finding us. Something tells me that Vincent will stop at nothing to seek us out and we will stand a better chance of that not happening if we leave the city.''

Mikey visibly drooped. ''Aw, man! Why does every disastrous event have to end with us leaving the city?''

''It's happened once, Mikey,'' Donnie retorted, moving round the side of the van and opening up the back doors to step inside. He was only inside for a moment before reappearing with a dark bag. ''Luckily, I planned ahead for something going wrong tonight and packed a few essentials, including a small oxygen tank which you,'' he pointed at Rori who gave a weak cough in response, ''need to attach yourself to right now.''

''Wait a minute-hey!'' Dexter, having reached out to grab hold of Rori's arm to stop her from getting into the van, was fiercely shunted backwards by Raphael. ''What the hell is your problem?!''

''Seems like you're the one with a problem, pal,'' Raphael snarled, glaring down at him.

''You expect me to just let my friend get in the back of a van and drive off with you guys? Not a chance!''

''What are ya tryin' to say?! We ain't gonna hurt her!''

''It's because of her knowing you that we're all here in the first place!''

''STOP IT!''

Dexter gave a grunt of surprise as Rosie stalked forward and shoved him so hard that he fell back against the side of his car.

''What the hell is wrong with you?! They aren't the bad guys! The maniac trying to break the door down is! They're trying to help us so will you stop acting like such a macho moron because you're too cowardly to admit that you're as scared as the rest of us and just do as they ask!''

Dexter stared at her with a gaping jaw, his eyes wide in shock. Rosie took a few deep breaths, the redness of her face fading away as her frustration rapidly ebbed away. With a choked sob, she reached out and grabbed Dexter in a hug which he immediately reciprocated, wrapping his arms tightly around her trembling form. Raphael, seemingly fed up with the commotion, quickly moved Rori to where Donatello was waiting with the oxygen mask. Rori placed it on her face and took a deep breath, allowing the oxygen to fill her lungs while Raphael stood protectively beside her, eyeing the buckling door and the smoke that was now billowing rapidly from underneath it with growing concern.

''We gotta move,'' he said. ''Any destination in mind?''

''We could go to the farmhouse-''

''It's in the middle of being renovated,'' April cut across Casey, her face tight with anxiety. ''All the floors have been pulled up and there isn't even a single bed in the entire place.''

''Well, then where are we gonna go?''

Rori pulled the mask away from her face. ''We…'' She gestured between herself and Dexter and Rosie, ''we were heading up to my family's old summer home in Connecticut…we could all go there. It's secluded, out of sight, nobody would know we were there.''

Leonardo shook his head. ''No, we need to think of a better solution.''

''A better solution? What the hell can you suggest that is better than what she just said?'' Raph demanded, turning a dangerous gaze onto his brother.

''Somewhere familiar, not the home of a stranger who has a pretty big connection to this entire situation.''

''She ain't a stranger,'' Raphael growled, stalking towards his brother in growing anger.

''She is to the rest of us!'' Leo countered, his face remaining blank as Raphael gave his shoulder a sharp shove.

''Not to me!'' he snarled. ''She's my friend an' I say we do what she says, otherwise we may as well cut our losses an' give up now cos we ain't got anywhere else to go!''

''That's a good point, Raph,'' Leo said coldly. ''She's your friend and yet this is the first that we've heard about her which leads me to assume that you've been keeping this a secret from all of us for a long time.'' He gave Raphael a return shove in the shoulder. ''Care to explain that to us?''

Raphael, having merely tilted back slightly from the shove, opened his mouth to throw out an angry retort but the words seem to die on his tongue. He let out a low groan before suddenly pitching forward in unconsciousness.

''Whoa-Raph! Raph?'' Leo caught Raph, buckling backwards slightly under his weight. Mikey quickly reached out to assist him in propping Raphael up, peering worriedly at the slack face of his older brother as Donnie hurried over to examine him.

''What's wrong with him?'' Rori wheezed, clutching the side of the van weakly as the panic began to rise within her once more. ''Is he okay?''

''This has to be some sort of reaction to that beam, right?'' April asked Donnie as he pull Raph's eyelids back to look at his pupils.

''It must be, although I can't exactly say what's wrong with him without performing some tests,'' He turned his attention to Leo. ''We really need to get somewhere safe.''

Leo peered over at Rori who was staring at Raphael with true terror painted all over her grimy features. The sound of the doors beginning to fracture and Rocky's frantic barking spurned him into making a decision.

''Help me get him in the van,'' he ordered, heaving Raph up with Mikey's help and manoeuvring him into the back of the van.

''Where are we going?'' Mikey asked, hopping up ahead in order to lower Raphael's head down with gentle precision.

Leo lifted his head and his eyes met Rori's. ''Connecticut.''

Rori stared at him for a moment before looking over to Dexter. ''You know the way?''

He started as though her voice had just broken him out of a daydream before he nodded.

''Can you lead these guys?''

Again, he nodded and quickly shuffled round to get into the driver's side while Rosie slid into the back, taking care to lift Ollie's head up and place it delicately across her lap. Leo frowned down at Rori as Splinter and Donnie climbed into the back with Raph, followed closely by Rocky who planted himself directly by Raph's head in a protective gesture.

''I'm not leaving him.'' Rori rasped firmly, hauling herself into the van and taking hold of one of Raphael's hands. She glared defiantly at Leo, as though expecting him to argue with her. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at her for a moment before stepping back to close the van doors.

''Mikey, you drive. April, Casey, one of you will have to go in the car with the others.''

''I'll go,'' April offered, stretching up on her toes to give Casey a quick kiss. ''They might need help with their friend.''

''Hey,'' Casey said loudly, ducking his head through the passenger door to look at Dexter. ''You better drive this thing like a goddamn pro, ya hear me? 'Cos if anythin' happens to April, I'll be stringin' you up by your goolies, got it?''

''Don't worry, man,'' Dexter replied, turning on the engine and revving it loudly. ''There's plenty of precious cargo in here already so trust me, she'll be safe.''

April smiled reassuringly at Casey before pulling the door closed.

''Casey, come on, let's get outta here.''

As Casey jogged round the side of the van to where Leo was waiting, the doors flew off their hinges, knocking the crates aside and releasing an inky plume of smoke that rapidly began to fill the parking lot. Kingsley and several other creatures surged forward, snarling and howling for blood. Vincent, dishevelled and crazed, quickly followed, accompanied by a hoard of henchman and Foot ninja. His eyes zeroed in on Leo and Casey who stared back for a brief moment before hauling themselves into the van, avoiding the bullet that whizzed past where they had been standing only seconds before.

''Go, Mikey, go!''

''I'm going, I'm going!'' The youngest turtle yelled, ramming the gear stick back and furiously turning the wheel to reverse. In front, the wheels of Dexter's cars screeched against the ground before the car shot forward, heading towards the slope at the back of the lot that led up to the streets.

''YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME!'' Vincent shrieked, firing another bullet that bounced off the wing mirror.

''QUICK! Before he takes the damn tyres out!''

''Hey, you wanna drive?!'' Mikey cried, slamming his foot down on the accelerator and hurtling after Dexter.

There was a succession of thuds above them before a clawed fist, scaly and large, burst through the roof and seized hold of Mikey's head.

''AHHH! I CAN'T SEE! GET IT OFF!''

''What's going on?!'' Donnie's muffled voice came from the back of the van as Leo lunged forward to try and prise the hand off Mikey's head while Casey grabbed the steering wheel, twisting it just in time to veer the van away from the wall. Heavy bangs alerted him to the presence of a few Foot ninja balancing perfectly on the hood of the van and he swore in loud exasperation.

''GET HIM OFF!''

''I'm trying!'' Leo cried, flinching as he saw the blood beginning to trickle from the top of Mikey's head. ''Just keep your foot on the accelerator!''

''No, Mikey, hit the brakes, hit the brakes!'' Casey suddenly yelled.

''What?!''

''BRAKE!''

Yelling loudly, Mikey slammed his foot down on the pedal, flinging them all against the dashboard as the van began to skid madly to a stop. With panicked screams, the Foot ninja hurtled away from the hood and through the air just as Kingsley was ripped away from the roof. There was a loud bang as his bulky form collided with the hood before toppling off the side.

''GO GO GO!''

The tyres let out a whining screech as Mikey hit the accelerator again and the van shot forward, leaving behind a wildly yelling Kingsley and several injured Foot ninja. Leo sat back in his seat with a loud sigh, watching the glow of the city lights come into view as the van finally came up above ground.

''Hey, where's-ohh for crying out loud!'' Mikey groaned, swerving the van to the side to pull up alongside Dexter's car, which was currently covered in six Foot ninja trying to break through the windows. Dexter's purposefully erratic driving managed to send a few of them flying along the road but the rest remained expertly balanced atop the swerving car.

''Tim to teach these goons a lesson,'' Casey said, retrieving a baseball bat from the bag upon his back and winding down the window so he could lean out. ''Mikey, can you get any closer?''

''Trying to,'' Mikey said through gritted teeth, glancing anxiously at the traffic, which included several speeding fire engines going the opposite direction, before pulling in closer to the car.

''BATTER UP!'' Casey cried, bringing the bat forward and smacking it with ferocity into the legs of the nearest ninja, propelling him into two others and over the side of the car. Startled by the sudden attack, the others quickly advanced their attack; two continued to try and gain access to the inside of the car while the other two made to leap towards the van. With expert reflexes, Casey drew back the bat and flung it forward, catching them in mid leap and hurling them through the air.

''See ya, suckers!''

As he turned his attention back to the car, he saw the sunroof open up and April's upper body pop out. She immediately wrapped her hands around the legs of the nearest ninja and yanked hard, sending him face first onto the hood of the car. A final swerve of the car and one last smack to the face of the still standing ninja finally dislodged them and April flashed Casey a relieved smile before disappearing back inside the car.

''That's got 'em,'' Casey sat back with a sigh, brushing hair away from his red face. He banged a fist on the back wall. ''Ya hear that, guys? We got away!''

In the back of the van, Rori clutched Raphael's hand even tighter.

''You hear that, Raph?'' she whispered, not caring that Splinter and Donatello could hear her. ''We're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay…''

She closed her eyes, her hand automatically reaching up to clutch her locket for comfort, only to touch nothing but the warm skin of her collarbone. Remembering that Vincent had stolen it earlier, she dropped her hand back down to join the other that was wrapped around Raphael's singed fingers, biting her lip to keep back the tears that seemed to come so easily now.

_Please, please…let him be okay…_

* * *

_There we go! I know it's a bit lame and cheesy and terrible in terms of pacing but I hope it was okay. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible! Thanks for your time, all reviews and comments are welcome :D  
_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hello readers. Hope you're all well! First of all I want to say thank you to the reviewers, your comments truly mean alot to me and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. To all those who followed, favourited and read my story so far, thank you so much for doing so, but don't feel shy to let me know what you think =) For all I know you could have done those things because you find it hilariously bad! Hopefully not though. So I'm sorry that it took me a while to get this chapter up; aside from dealing with some characterization problems, scene issues and conflicting decisions on certain parts, I suddenly had an attack of low confidence. I literally spent a day reading what I had just finished and pulling my hair out as I was absolutely swamped with negative thoughts; what have I done, why is this so shit, I wouldn't read this if I was paid to etc and I really struggled to get over it. There was a moment where I really thought I wouldn't upload this chapter but I managed to get past whatever the hell was going in my mind and, well, here we are. Luckily my desire to tell this story managed to override whatever concerns I have so I really hope you enjoy this chapter; we're heading right into the whole point of this story which is the relationship between Raphael and Rori and I'm very excited to explore it so I hope you are too. _

_Sorry for any mistakes or errors. All feedback is massively appreciated. _

_Disclaimer: All recognizable things are not mine. _

* * *

_Rori moved aimlessly around the room, mindlessly trailing her hand along the belongings that lined the walls and shelves of her bedroom. Rocky watched her from his place on the bed, his eyes wide with sadness. His tail thumped once before he lowered his head down with a sorrowful whine. From somewhere far away in the other end of the apartment, Rori could hear the faint rumble of the voices of the others as they huddled together in their moment of grief. Her Uncle Jerry, along with her mother's brother and sister, Freddie and June, and their partners had flown out a few days ago in order to visit and it was by mere coincidence that they had been there when her mother had taken her last breath. Rori put it down to one of those weird twists of fate; kind enough to bring the family together at the right time but cruel enough to still take her mother away. They'd returned home and that was when the reality had set in, at least for everybody else. Rori couldn't take the sudden barrage of well-meaning comfort that was forcibly thrust upon her, didn't want to be sat in a room full of pitying eyes and empty words of consolation. As her father wept bitterly into Uncle Jerry's shoulder and the others tried to busy themselves in the kitchen or with making necessary calls and arrangements, she had quietly removed herself from the room and headed into her bedroom where she had immediately locked the door. _

_The numbness settled heavily in her chest like a lead weight as she walked around the room, making her feel sick. She reached into her pocket for her phone, intending to send a text off to her friends to inform them of what had happened, but what could she say? How was there a way of phrasing it that didn't make them want to come flying to her side in order to take care of her? She hadn't even considered telling Billy; they'd been dating for over a year and she didn't even want him around in her hour of need, how screwed up was that?_

_She threw her phone onto her bed and moved to stand in front of her wall length mirror. Her face was pinched and pale and there were bags under her dull eyes. Her hair was a dishevelled mess and her clothes were rumpled. Aside from that, there was no difference to her. There was nothing obvious to signify that something had irrevocably changed in her life. She wasn't sure what she was expecting but she had definitely been expecting something, some obvious sign to indicate that she was now motherless. _

_A burning ache made itself known in the back of her throat and she swallowed heavily against it. With a wobbling chin, she moved over to her bed where she perched herself on the edge and stared blankly at the wall in front of her. The sound of the window opening didn't meet her ears and she wasn't aware of Raphael's presence in the room until he was standing right beside her. Rocky's tail thumped against the bed a few times at the arrival of the large turtle. Slowly, she turned her head and looked up into his face. His ochre eyes stared back at her, wide with unspoken worry. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no words would come, only a strange croaking sound. Immediately, understanding dawned on Raph's face and he tentatively sat down beside her. _

''_Rori…''_

_His voice, low and deep and so full of concern, set off something inside her and suddenly, the tears were coming thick and fast and she found that she could hardly breathe. There was a fluttering in the air as Raph moved his hands awkwardly around her, unsure of what to do. She clenched her teeth and ducked her head as the sobs overcame her, filling the room with guttural sounds of despair. Slowly, his arm slid around her shoulders and eased her sideways so she was leaning against his side. She turned inwards to bury her face into him and looped her arms around his neck, clinging onto him tightly. He shifted beside her and suddenly she was sitting in his lap with his arms wrapped firmly around her and a hand stroking her hair. _

''_Sh-she's-she's gone, R-Raph,'' she choked, curling further into him as though trying to bury herself within him._

_Raph didn't reply. Instead he let out a low, sad groan and gripped her tighter, slowly rocking his body from side to side as he continued to absorb her sorrow, all the way through the night. _

* * *

Rori opened her eyes, blinking them rapidly against the wetness that clung to her eyelashes. Where she had drifted off to the sound of the wheels of the truck moving over the roads, she now heard the gentle chorus of an early morning birdsong. Quickly rubbing the tears from her eyes, she sat up and clutched her head as a spell of dizziness overtook her.

''Whoa, easy there,'' a friendly voice said from nearby. ''No rush, we've only just arrived.''

Rori turned her head to see Mikey crouched beside Raphael's still unconscious form, arms poised as though he was about to try and move his brother. He must have seen the concern lacing her features because he offered her a lopsided grin that seemed quite sincere. ''Don't worry about him, he sleeps like a rock.'' He shook his head with a chuckle. ''I guess you already knew that, though.''

Rori didn't reply. Instead, she shifted to her knees and slid forward, her eyes locked on Raphael. ''His shell…'' she whispered hoarsely, lifting up a hand to gently touch the edge of the cracked carapace.

''It is pretty bad,'' Mikey agreed with a sympathetic wince. ''But there isn't anything that Donnie can't fix.''

There was a frantic scuffling sound from outside and Rocky suddenly bounded into the back of the truck, tongue lolling and eyes bright with excitement. Rori reached up to scratch him softy behind the ears as Donnie and Rosie appeared at the back of the truck.

''I took your keys to let us in,'' Rosie said quietly, looking to the side awkwardly. ''I hope you don't mind.''

''No, it's okay,'' Rori replied with a shake of her head.

''I left our bags by the stairs too…just until we decide who is sleeping where.''

''We looked around,'' Donnie said. ''There doesn't seem to be anyone here but the house is remarkably clean.''

Confusion marred Rori's face for a moment before something clicked in her mind. ''We…There used to be a housekeeper named Anna. I just assumed that my dad let her go at some point over the last few years…we never came up here after my mum was…I was expecting to turn up to a messy hosue but I guess she's still working here.''

''Is there any chance of her coming by anytime soon?''

Rori shrugged. ''I doubt it, not if she's been here recently. She used to come up once every month so I can't imagine that she'll need to come by again anytime soon.''

Mikey had a somewhat awed look on his face. ''Whoa…a housekeeper…man, we could do with one of those down in the lair.''

Donnie rolled his eyes. ''Yeah, to clean up the mess that _you _make.''

Before Mikey could reply, another set of footsteps approached and Dexter appeared beside Rosie, looking tired and irritable. ''I put Ollie on the couch in the living room for now. Reckon he'll wake up anytime soon?'' he asked Donatello who gave a small nod.

''He should do but I'll be sure to keep an eye on him.''

''Great,'' Dexter said back in a clipped tone. He turned his gaze to Rori and it softened at the sight of her. ''Me and that other guy-''

''Casey.''

''Right, me and _Casey_ are gonna head down to the town and get some food and stuff.'' He held up a scrap piece of paper. ''Anything else you wanna add to this?'' he asked Donatello who shook his head.

''Don't think so. I've taken the liberty of adding a few alternatives to some of the items on there, in case you can't find some things.''

''Yeah, well, let's just hope their stores are well stocked,'' Dexter said, pocketing the list again.

''I'll go with you,'' Rosie offered with a soft smile. ''Knowing you, you'll forget all the important things.''

Dexter nodded before looking at Rori again. ''You gonna be okay?''

Rori knew what he was really asking:_ are you gonna be okay if we leave you alone with these guys?_ She'd never expected Dexter to be so wary or untrusting of them, but then again, it was no surprise that he was highly agitated after last night. Plus, he didn't do well with being told what to do. She met his searching gaze and looked sternly at him. ''Of course I'll be okay.''

''Right…well, we'll be as quick as we can.''

''You need some money?''

Dexter waved his hand in dismissal and disappeared. Rosie gave a small wave before hurrying after him. Mikey watched them go and shook his head with a chuckle.

''Those two are pretty clueless, huh?''

Rori shook her head. ''You don't know the half of it.''

Leo appeared beside Donnie. ''C'mon, we need to get him inside.''

Rori eased herself onto her feet. ''I'll…show you where to put him.''

It was a surreal thing, stepping inside a house that she knew so well but had not seen for so long. The rooms were familiar, still decorated in the same light and fresh style that Rori had always loved about the place, and the sweet scent of dewy grass hung lightly in the air in a way that was almost comforting. Memories of summers gone by, family parties, long weekends with her friends and a time where she was just a normal kid with a pretty normal life, flooded back and she clutched the doorframe, momentarily winded by the force of them.

''Hey…you okay?'' Mikey appeared beside her, his blue eyes full of concern.

Rori offered him a weak smile and let out a dry couch. ''Yeah, just…it's a little weird being back here, that's all.''

''Make sure you gargle some salt water soon, Rori.'' Donnie said from behind her. ''It'll help with your throat.''

Rori nodded as she turned to look back into the bedroom where Raphael lay upon the bed on his front, his arms resting above his head and his face still and calm. His mask had been removed and sat upon the bedside table along with his protective gear and his weapons. Donnie stood above him, gently applying strips of tape from a roll that he had found in a kitchen cupboard to the smaller cracks on his shell.

''Will he be alright, my son?'' Splinter asked from where he stood at the foot of the bed, his expression pinched with concern.

Donnie scratched his head. ''Regarding his shell, he'll be fine. It's the effects of that ray that I'm worried about.''

''Why hasn't he mutated again?'' Mikey asked. ''He got hit with that ray…surely he should be some huge monstrosity by now?''

''That's just it; I don't know,'' Donnie replied, fiddling with the tape in thought. ''He isn't showing any real signs of…anything, really. Unless he suddenly decides to spontaneously transform any minute now, there's not a lot I can work out until he wakes up.''

Rori was suddenly aware of someone looking at her and moved her gaze from Raphael to meet Splinter's dark eyes. On the journey from the city, she had fallen into an exhausted sleep fairly quickly, so there hadn't been an opportunity for questions to be asked. More than ever, she wished that Raphael would wake up, if only to tell her what to say so that she wouldn't be the cause of any more trouble for anyone.

''Miss Jones,'' Splinter began, turning to face her fully. ''It is most gracious of you to open up your home to us. Please know that we are all extremely grateful.''

Rori could only nod her head dumbly, unable to construct any kind of coherent response.

''There are, of course, many questions that require answering, as I'm sure you can appreciate.''

''Yeah,'' Mikey cut in, jumping excitedly in front of Rori. '' Raph wouldn't tell us anything earlier.''

''That was more down to the fact that we were being held hostage,'' Donnie said.

''Still, I've got questions that need answers! Like, how the hell did Raph manage to keep you a secret for so long? If I had a girlfriend I'd show her off to everybody!''

Rori's face flushed a deep red and she felt her heartrate speed up from her discomfort. ''I'm not his girlfriend,'' she said quickly, holding up her hands. ''We're friends.''

''And would you mind telling me just how long this friendship has existed between the two of you?'' Splinter asked softly, his face giving nothing away.

Rori swallowed. ''Since I moved to the city…We were ten.''

Splinter closed his eyes, as though the knowledge had wounded him.

''Wait, so he's known you longer than he's known me and Casey?'' a voice said from behind, and Rori turned to see the incredulous face of April O'Neil. Rori could only nod, flinching backwards defensively at the somewhat hostile expression on Leonardo's face as he appeared beside April.

''Well, this accounts for all his disappearing acts over the years,'' Leo said, folding his arms across his plastron.

''I can't believe Raph had a human friend before April and he didn't share!''

''She's not a toy, Mikey!'' Donnie reprimanded loudly.

''No, but she is the reason that Raph has effectively been lying to us for all these years,'' Leo countered.

Something akin to anger surged to life within Rori and she lifted her head to glare at Leo. ''I'm not the reason for anything! We met by chance and we became friends, there was no ulterior motive or nastiness behind it. He kept our friendship a secret, out of his own choice by the way, because he knew that he wouldn't be allowed to see me again if he told any of you.''

''Because he knew that he was threatening the safety of our entire family by exposing himself to a human!'' Leo countered, his dark eyes flashing dangerously. ''He knew that and yet he obviously didn't care enough to do anything about it.''

''It wasn't like that,'' Rori snapped. ''What risk could a ten year old girl possibly be? You all certainly didn't care about the risk when you became friends with April and Casey.''

''That was different.''

''Of course it was.''

Leo started to argue back but Splinter halted him with a paw to the plastron. ''That is enough, Leonardo.''

Rori threw her arms out to the side in surrender, her chin trembling. ''There really is no point to this conversation because I can tell you've already got your judgement firmly settled on me.'' She turned to look at the others. ''I'm gonna go take a shower…please just make yourselves at home.''

She slid past Leo and began to climb the staircase that led to the third floor, stopping to grab her bag on the way. She purposely blocked out the voices of the others as they loudly broke into a heavy debate, although Mikey's sarcastic scolding of Leo's actions lightened the weight in her heart ever so slightly. She headed along the landing and slowly opened the door that led to her designated room in the house. It was just as she remembered; all blue and floral patterns with a window bench littered with pillows, a cluttered bookcase and a fluffy white rug that covered half of the wooden floor. She couldn't help but look at the bookcase fondly, taking in all the familiar worn spines of the books she had read so many times. With a groan, she lugged her bag into the room and set it on the floor before heading straight into the adjacent bathroom to switch the shower on so the hot water had a chance to kick in. She glanced around the small bathroom, grateful that she had thought to pack a large selection of toiletries, although she hoped that Rosie had the sense to add some to the no doubt gigantic shopping list. She collected her supplies from her bag and arranged them throughout the room, taking longer than necessary to do so.

She took a glance down at herself; her shoes were filthy, her tights were torn to shreds and her top was ripped in several places. Her skirt seemed to be fine but suddenly, she had the desperate need to get out of it and never look at it again. With furious speed, she kicked her shoes off and practically tore herself out of her clothes and jumped into the bathtub. She quickly covered herself in shower gel and frantically scrubbed at herself, turning her skin red raw. She tried not to cry, she really did, but as the recent events finally caught up with her, she found that she could no longer hold it in. Under the steaming stream of water she finally caved in, sinking into a sitting position with a wail of despair that echoed throughout the house, startling the other occupants into a silence that wouldn't end for several hours.

* * *

''Come onnnnn.''

''No.''

''Pleaseee?''

''No, Mikey.''

''Oh, c'mon, you know you wanna…''

Rori rolled her eyes as Mikey waved a spoonful of sauce in Rosie's face, an enticing grin on his face. Rosie sighed before leaning forward to taste the sauce, her lips smacking together in thought. Mikey jittered on the spot as he waited for her verdict, which was delivered in the form of a smile.

''It's great, Mikey,'' she affirmed, chuckling a little as the turtle grinned brightly before turning back to stir the bubbling sauce.

''Raph always said your cooking was good,'' Rori said, causing Mikey to look at her in surprise.

''H-he did?''

Rori nodded, smiling at the stunned expression on Mikey's face that quickly melted into a proud grin.

''Hey, whatcha…ooh it smells good in here,'' Ollie said in an appreciative tone as he entered the kitchen.

Mikey beamed at him. ''Wait til you taste it, man! It'll rock your world.''

''I don't doubt it,'' Ollie replied, opening the fridge to retrieve a beer.

Dexter had been fairly liberal with the shopping choices, something Casey had appreciated, and they had bonded on their decision to buy a substantial amount of alcohol. Rosie claimed that if she hadn't gone with them, they would have only returned with beer and frozen pizzas, something the two men denied profusely. Luckily, they had returned with an absolute abundance of food, drink, clothes for April and Casey and other requested supplies that would see them right for quite a while.

Playful bantering filtered in from the living room and Ollie shook his head. ''I think our boy Dexter has finally decided to stop acting like an overprotective ass and be nice to our new friends.''

''That or he's scared to be rude in front of Master Splinter,'' Mikey said.

''He was just scared before, that's all.'' Rosie explained in a quiet voice. ''The way he was acting isn't how he really is, I promise.''

Mikey shrugged his shoulders easily. ''No worries, everybody gets stressed out sometimes. Although, in Raph's case, it's an almost daily occurrence.''

Rori forced a smile onto her lips as Mikey looked at her expectantly before she looked directly at Ollie. He'd woken up sometime during the late hours of the morning with a shout so loud it caused everyone to come running. It had taken them fifteen minutes to calm him down enough to let Donnie perform a quick medical check to ensure that he wasn't badly hurt. Aside from bruising and minor burns, he was perfectly fine, much to everybody's relief. The atmosphere seemed to relax somewhat after that; at least, as much as it was able to. Everybody got settled in to the various rooms within the house; Casey and April were given the master bedroom on the ground floor while Splinter selected the other ground floor bedroom, his reason being that he did not often have a chance to gaze upon nature and would be able to do so due to the fact that the room had very large windows. Additionally, with the exception of Rori's room, it was the furthest away from all the other rooms. Mikey and Donnie suspected that he knew this when he had chosen the room.

''We have a habit of being…a bit loud, shall we say,'' Donnie had explained awkwardly when questioned, earning a disapproving look from Leonardo. ''Giant turtles sharing a sleeping space can be a bit problematic sometimes.''

Leo had appointed himself as Raph's bunkmate and had singlehandedly moved the mattress from one of the other rooms on the second floor into Raph's room, leaving Donnie and Mikey to room together while Dexter, Rosie and Ollie all decided to share the remaining bedroom, seeing as the other unoccupied one no longer had a functioning bed. Rori, torn between missing out on the comfort of being with her friends and hiding away so she could deal with her feelings privately, had eventually decided against asking any or all of them to share with her, knowing that she would only upset them by rebuffing their attempts to comfort her. So far, nobody had really mentioned her father and she was grateful for that, but the unanswered questions and unspoken words hung heavily in the air, making her feel unable to fully relax.

''Has Leo come downstairs yet?'' Donnie's arrival in the room drew Rori from her thoughts and she shook her head along with the others. Donnie sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily. ''This is just like Northampton all over again.''

'''Cept Raph ain't living in the bath this time.'' Mikey said as he swirled a fork vigorously through a bowl of rice.

''True,'' Donnie replied, dropping into one of the spare chairs around the long rectangular kitchen table. ''I just…I know Leo, he'll stop taking care of himself because he'll be too obsessed with keeping watch over Raph.''

''He'll have to at least sleep, and hopefully eat, at some point, surely?'' Rosie asked, eyebrows raising in surprise as Donnie shook his head.

''Unless you want to be the one who tries to force feed him, just take my word for it.''

''But…he is gonna be okay though, isn't he?'' Ollie questioned in a small voice, his eyes flickering to Rori who only stared blankly at the table. ''He'll wake up soon, won't he?''

There was a loud clanging sound as Mikey furiously banged a wooden spoon against the side of one of the pans he was cooking with. ''Dinner's ready!''

Ollie's question remained answered as the others filed in to the kitchen. There was the immediate problem of too many bodies in one area as everybody scrambled to gather cutlery and pour drinks but eventually, everybody was seated and all tucked in to the meal as though they had not eaten for days. The meal was fairly simple; chicken in a mushroom sauce with white rice and salad, but it was undeniably delicious.

''Oh, man,'' Dexter groaned, shovelling another spoonful of chicken into his mouth. ''This is so good.''

Mikey swatted a hand playfully in his direction. ''Aw, shucks. You'll make me blush!''

'He's right, this is amazing,'' Ollie said appreciatively, helping himself to more salad and sharing a grin with the youngest turtle.

The tension, constructed out of all the unanswered questions and unspoken thoughts, only marred the otherwise pleasant meal somewhat, for which Rori was grateful. She could barely deal with the curious looks being surreptitiously sent her way and the loaded glances behind shared between other occupants of the table, let alone any deep and accusing questions or comments. She knew her friends were making the effort to deal with the situation as best as they could, as the others were, but she could appreciate how frustrating it was for them to do so without having answers; answers that only she and Raphael could provide and she was loathe to get caught up in such a conversation without him.

At least the origin story would be one less thing to talk about, she thought with relief as Splinter began explaining the incredible tale to a thoroughly enraptured Dexter, Ollie and Rosie. Donnie, Mikey, Casey and April were listening just as intently, even though they had probably heard the story plenty of times before. As silently as possible, Rori eased her chair away from the table and headed out of the room, following the hallway along until she reached a large, empty room at the further end. She shut the door behind her and released a breath she felt like she'd been holding for way too long.

''Okay…'' she exhaled, trying to steady the uneasy feeling in her stomach as she plucked her ipod from the waistband of her leggings. She stretched liberally before placing the headphones into her ears, cracking her neck and shaking out her limbs in a manner she knew to be ridiculous. She selected a song, a mixture of something forceful and emotional, and replaced the ipod before lifting her head to look at the ceiling to floor mirror that formed the rear wall of the room, eyeing her reflection with scorn.

''Coward…'' she hissed in a whisper, her lips curling over her teeth in an angry sneer as the tempo of the music began to build. ''Stupid, pathetic…useless fucking coward!''

The last three words left her lips in a shout and she launched herself into movement, aggressively throwing her body in all directions as though trying to expel a demon from within. Her arms whirled through the air, her legs extended and bent at perfect angles and her spine curved in well-formed arcs as she flew around the room in a frenzy. She completely lost herself in her music and danced and danced until she felt her movements begin to grow sloppy in her desperation to try and shake out her emotions. She threw her head back to whip her hair from her sweaty face and let out a startled shriek as she caught sight of someone standing behind her.

''Sorry!'' April's mouth moved soundlessly and Rori tugged her headphones out, bending over at the waist to catch her breath.

''Didn't mean to startle you.''

Rori shook her head. ''It's okay.''

April stepped further into the room. ''So, you're a dancer.''

Rori straightened up and shrugged. ''I guess. I've been taking classes since I was little.''

April nodded. ''I did ballet for a bit when I was a teenager but I wasn't very good at it.''

Rori smiled a little. ''I did that for a while but I moved into modern dance eventually, along with a bit of hip hop and some ballroom. I found the ballet environment to be a bit…critical.''

''I know what you mean. It's so bitchy, all those girls just criticising each other's looks. One girl in my class hated me because I was 'skinnier' than her.'' April quirked her fingers in the air quote motion and spoke the word with a tone of disgust.

Rori gave a wry smile. ''Yeah, I know what you mean.''

Rori gave herself a cursory glance in the mirror. She remembered the judging eyes and the nasty comments of the other girls, the awkward moments in the changing rooms and the discontent she felt for her body until she broke free of the toxic environment. She was slim and toned from her years of dancing, but being short and having curvy hips and a shapely behind had made her a prime target for the taller girls who were nothing short of willowy and waiflike. When she had turned fifteen, she had switched from ballet to modern dance and found herself a lot happier for it. It helped that her teacher for the next five years had been a rather rotund lady who could move like nothing she had ever seen before, proving that you didn't need to be as skinny as a stick to dance like a butterfly.

''Well, modern dance looks really fun,'' April's voice broke into her thoughts with a tone of comradery. She came to stand beside Rori and studied herself thoughtfully. ''I always feel like I'm too tall to dance. Makes me feel clumsy and ungraceful.''

Rori let out a light laugh, feeling something akin to relief spark to life in her chest. ''Are you kidding? I'd give anything to be as tall as you. I bet nobody uses you for an armrest.''

April shrugged. ''Except Casey.''

The two women broke out into giggles for a moment before April's face changed into a mask of thoughtfulness.

''Why didn't you say anything to me when I came into your salon the other day?''

Rori sighed and began to wrap her headphones tightly around her ipod. ''What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, April! You don't know me but we have a mutual acquaintance in the form of a giant, walking, talking mutant turtle, would you like a wash and blow dry while you're here?' I don't think so.''

''I suppose you're right,'' April agreed. ''But still…never mind why, _how _could you not say anything? I don't mean to sound arrogant but you must have heard a lot about me and Casey over the years, right?''

Rori nodded and tucked her ipod away. ''A hell of a lot.''

April ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. ''I just…I'm struggling to get my head around it. All this time and he never said a word. I know Raph's the strong, silent type but even for him, that's impressive.'' She lifted her head and Rori fidgeted under the intensity of her stare. ''You know…when we left the city before, when he was badly hurt, there were times at the farmhouse when I would hear him mumble stuff in his sleep. Mostly nonsense but, every now and then, there was a name that I didn't recognise…Aurora.''

A blush spread across Rori's cheeks. Raph hardly ever called her Aurora; in fact, she couldn't even remember the last time he had called her that in person. The thought made her stomach flutter and she toyed with the edge of her shirt awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

''All those times he was out…We all just assumed he was off busting heads and breaking things.''

Rori snorted. ''He was…and then he'd come and see me.''

''Didn't it ever bother you?'' April asked. ''That he never introduced you to his family or told anyone about you? Not even when me and Casey came into the picture?''

''Not really. I couldn't exactly tell any of my friends or family about him. Not properly, anyway.''

''That's a bit different though. You're human.''

''And he's a mutant turtle. The principles are still the same; we wanted to keep each other safe. Him from being discovered by the outside world and me from all the danger that seems to follow you guys around.''

April's eyebrows lifted in resigned amusement. ''There is a lot of that.''

''You and Casey met the turtles through the danger. You were thrown right into the deep end and you could have walked away at the end of it all, but you didn't.''

''Are you saying that you would?''

Rori frowned. ''Never in a million years. What I'm saying is that there has never been a right time for him to tell anyone. When we were children he couldn't because Splinter would have forbidden him from seeing me and when we became older, all that stuff happened with Shredder and the Foot and from then on, there's always been some form of danger. Danger for me if I somehow wound up involved in it and danger for him if my being involved somehow exposed him.''

''What do you mean?''

Rori threw her hands into the air. ''Look at what's happened! Look where we are! We're hiding out in my family's summer house as a result of something that's my fault. If he didn't know me, his and his family's existence wouldn't have been discovered and he wouldn't be lying up there-'' Rori's voice cut off as her emotions became too heavy. She clenched her fists in frustration and turned away from April to glare at the wall. ''For thirteen years, he has been my best, and sometimes only, friend and look how I've repaid that friendship.

''Hey,'' April said in a soothing voice, ''you cannot blame yourself. None of this was your fault. This whole thing is the result of some power hungry maniac and his disgusting actions. Your father's involvement is not on you, nor is what happened to Raph. He made the decision to save you out of his own free will.''

Rori looked at her as April slipped a comforting arm around her shoulder. ''But if he didn't know me, he wouldn't have been there.''

''He and his brothers were already looking into what Vincent was up to. This whole thing was going to be a disaster from the beginning because we were so unprepared for the magnitude of what Vincent had done. You and your friends being there raised the stakes, yes, but it definitely wasn't the cause of all this.''

''But he's hurt because of Vincent trying to get revenge on my father…''

''Listen to me,'' April said firmly, taking hold of Rori's shoulders with both hands. ''You know as well as I do that Raph does whatever the hell he wants to do.''

A weak smile graced Rori's downcast face which April promptly returned. ''There is no way he would have done what he did if he didn't want to, if something inside him didn't say that it was what he needed to do. He wouldn't blame you and I bet he'd hate to know you were blaming yourself.''

Doubt and uncertainty still lingered but relief, faint but real, became part of the mixture within Rori's conflicted mind and she allowed herself to relax a little, her shoulders slumping in April's grip.

''You know, for so long I've wanted to be able to meet you.''

''Me?'' April smiled bemusedly. ''Why?''

''I would watch you on the news and Raph would tell me stories about you and Casey all the time til it got to the point where I felt like I actually knew you.''

April's smile grew until the kindness of it enveloped her whole face. ''Well, now you do.'' She gave Rori's shoulders a squeeze as though sensing her lingering concerns. ''Don't worry, everything will be okay.''

''I hope you're right.''

''Trust me. Now, come on, let's go and see what the others are up to,'' she said and led Rori towards the door and out into the hall.

''Oh, I really should have a shower first.'' Rori plucked at her shirt with a wrinkle of her nose.

''I wouldn't worry about it,'' April said with a chuckle as they drew closer to the living room. ''You should smell the guys after their training sessions.''

''That bad, huh?''

As April lamented about her unfortunate experience, Rori became aware of the droning voice of a newsreader coming from the television in the living room. She hurried ahead of April and stepped into the room, coming to stand behind the back of one of the couches. The others all had their backs to her as they watched the screen in intense silence.

''…_but as of yet, there is still so sign or knowledge of the whereabouts of Mr Gale Vincent and Mr Max Jones. Authorities have refused to comment on whether they believe that the two businessmen may have perished in the fire. There is also a substantial amount of employees from the company that still remain unaccounted for, as well as a large number of armed police that were inside the building at the time the fire was taking place. All we know for certain is that it may be some time before we have any real information that can shed light on what exactly happened here.''_

Rori felt her blood turn to ice as the camera panned across the ChemLab building. It was in a sorry state; smoking, charred and blackened. It was a mere husk of its former self and Rori felt sick at the sight of the damage, knowing that they'd been in there less than twenty four hours ago. She felt April's anxious eyes upon her but she refused to speak or look away from the screen.

''_And what of the information that the police received anonymously relating to some questionable actions within Vincent's company?''_

The reporter listened to the question being asked from within the newsroom with an intense expression before lifting his microphone to his lips again. _''Again, there is more speculation than fact at this point as the authorities have been reluctant to divulge any information. We have no idea of the possible implications of the information or what it divulged exactly, but we do know that it contained something that prompted the NYPD to send a large number of heavily armed professionals into the building to apprehend Vincent.''_

The reporter in the newsroom nodded seriously. _''And what about the involvement of Max Jones?''_

The second mention of her father's name had Rori drawing in a ragged breath which instantly captured the attention of everybody else in the room. There was a gasp of shock followed by a groan as Mikey quickly hurried to switch the television off.

''Rori,'' Dexter began, standing up with his hands held up. ''We…I…'' He looked pleadingly at Ollie who only stared back in desperation.

''We've only seen two reports…this one and one from this morning,'' Rosie said, watching Rori carefully. ''We thought it would be a good idea to find out what was going on first before telling you.''

''And?''

They all looked at each other with uncertainty and Rori felt a horrible beating sensation begin in the pit of her stomach. On top of everything else, she couldn't deal with being excluded and being lied to out of some misplaced sense of protection. The idea of them talking about her, deciding what was best for her made something burn underneath her skin and she absently rubbed her arms.

''They haven't found anything. The police aren't saying much.''

''We'll probably find out more in a few days,'' Donnie said gently, offering her an encouraging smile.

A thought struck Rori and she looked at April. ''What about you? Your boss knew you would be doing your interview with him.''

April shook her head. ''He rang me this morning and I pretended that I'd been stuck in bed with a horrible cold so I hadn't been able to do the interview. Luckily for me, my acting skills are decent enough that he believed me.''

''And what about Franco?''

April shrugged. ''I said I had no idea so they've assumed he's just decided not to come in to work…'' Her eyebrows dipped with conflicted guilt. ''I don't know whether to feel bad about that or not.''

''Bah!'' Casey swiped a dismissive hand through the air. ''Little traitor made his own choices an' they came back to bite him in the ass.''

''I guess…''

Dexter moved forward and took Rori's hands in his. She couldn't meet his eyes and stared intensely at the wall behind him.

''Rori, we weren't trying to go behind your back or keep anything from you, I promise. We were just trying to help, that's all.''

''He's right,'' Mikey chimed in gently. ''We've all been through some insane stuff over the last few hours so I can only imagine it's been seriously hard for you because of your dad and everything. If it were me, I know I wouldn't wanna hear or see anything else about it.''

''But it's not you, it's not any of you, it's me.'' Rori whispered. She clutched Dexter's hands desperately and he squeezed back just as hard. ''It was my family, my friends…my fault.''

''No, no,'' Dexter argued. ''None of this is down to you, how can you even think that?''

''Vincent was an insane man, Rori,'' Donnie said. ''Nobody is responsible for what happened apart from him.''

''You need to stop blaming yourself because we certainly don't.'' Ollie moved forward to wrap an arm around her but Rori pulled away from him and Dexter and began to back out of the room. They all called out words of comfort and reassurance and looked at her with genuine concern but it was all too much.

''I…I can't do this right now.''

Rori ignored their coaxing and pleading and ran from the room, heading for the stairs which she took two at a time. She came upon the open door of Raphael's bedroom and stopped just outside it, looking in with unease. Leo sat on a chair beside the bed, his eyes narrowed and his body hunched as he watched the rise and fall of his brother's broken shell. On the opposite side sat Rocky with his ears up and his back ramrod straight. His bright eyes flickered back and forth between Raph and Leo as though he was waiting for the turtle in blue to make some sudden move towards his injured friend.

''He won't leave the room. He's been staring at me for hours.''

Rori jumped as Leo's expressionless voice crossed the room. Rocky looked round at her and gave a few strong thumps of his tail before turning his attention back to Raphael.

''Yeah, well, he loves Raph. He's a great dog, very protective.''

''I can see,'' Leo retorted as Rori entered the room and Rocky immediately fixed him with a warning look. ''Raphael always did have an affinity with animals.'' He lifted his gaze to Rori's. ''More than he did with people, anyway.''

Rori came to stand behind the bed and slowly eased her fingers between Raphael's. ''Why do you hate me so much?''

''Hate is a very strong word''

Rori rolled her eyes. ''Call it whatever you want but you're not exactly brimming with friendliness.''

Leo didn't respond and an awkward silence filled the room. From downstairs, there was the sound of murmuring voices and the animated buzz of a television show. Rori closed her eyes and tried to quell the vibrations coming from inside her chest. She hated how she felt when she was upset, hated the way her tongue felt too big for her mouth and the way her heart seemed to slingshot all around her body until it settled somewhere and released unbearable beats of emotion that she couldn't handle. Right now, it was sat somewhere near her collarbone and it was pulsing heavily to the point that she could hear it in her ears.

She knew her friends meant well, she really did. She was grateful that they didn't blame her but it honestly did nothing to vanquish the relentless maelstrom of self-loathing that was swirling inside her, corrupting her thoughts and filling her with guilt. She'd never been good with facing up to how she really felt, finding it easier to hide behind smiles and bold bravado, but now it just didn't seem possible to be that way anymore. The tears seemed to come easier than they used to, the sadness and the anger seemed to override the old protocol of sarcasm and fake laughter and she felt more vulnerable than she ever had in her entire life.

''You really care for him, don't you?''

Rori turned her gaze from Raphael to look at Leo, who was staring intently at her. His dark eyes were piercing and she had the unnerving feeling that he could see right into her soul. Beside her, Rocky let out a low growl and she quickly placed a pacifying hand on the dog's shaggy head.

''He's my best friend, he has been since I was ten years old.''

''That's not what I asked.''

Rori opened her mouth and then closed it again, unsure of how to respond. She tightened her grip on Raph's hand and then let out a startled gasp as the unconscious turtle let out a quiet groan.

''What did you do?'' Leo snapped, jumping to his feet so quickly that his chair toppled over.

''I didn't do anything!'' Rori said defensively, stepping back as Leo moved round the bed to look into Raphael's face.

''You must have! He hasn't made a single sound since we moved him in here.''

''Maybe he's closer to waking up,'' Rori said hopefully, moving to take Raph's hand again only to be blocked by Leo's arm as it was thrown in front of her.

''What is your problem?!'' she cried, grabbing hold of Rocky's collar as the dog bared his teeth and snarled at Leo.

''My problem is that my brother is severely hurt as a result of his friendship with you. If you hadn't been involved, he would not have been so badly injured and I wouldn't be relieving the same events that happened eight years ago!''

''You think I don't feel guilty? You think I don't blame myself?'' Rori gritted her teeth and tried to remain as calm as possible. ''You think I haven't been picturing what happened in my head since the moment we escaped? Because I have, it's all I can think about!''

''I don't give a damn about how you feel,'' Leo said darkly, rounding on her fully with a blazing glare. ''You are a mistake that he should never have made and I'm going to make sure that he knows it as soon as he wakes up.'' He eyed her with disgust. ''You need to leave the room before I really lose my temper.''

Rori remained where she stood, clutching Rocky's collar tightly. ''Raph has told me so many stories about you over the years. A lot of them painted you in a good light, made you sound funny, honourable, kind.''

Leo regarded her suspiciously but waited for her to continue.

''But there was a time where all I heard was bad things about your attitude, your leadership, the way you made Raph and your brothers feel like you thought they were inferior, how you thought too highly of yourself and your own opinion…''

Something akin to hurt flashed in Leo's eyes. Fuelled by her need to fight back, Rori continued. ''I would listen to all these stories with an open mind because all I knew of you was from what Raph had told me. Sometimes I'd even try and defend you or try and explain your actions, but Raph would never listen…and now I know why. I know why he said what he did and I'm sorry that I defended you because you didn't deserve any defence, not if this is how you treat others.''

Leo's eyes darkened. ''You know nothing about me.''

''And you don't know me but, due to your own superiority complex, you're allowed to judge me based on assumption but I can't judge you on the stories I've heard from your own brother?'' Rori fought to keep her chin from trembling. ''I really don't care what you think of me, Leo, and you can't blame me more than I already blame myself.''

She moved forward, tugging Rocky along beside her, and dropped down onto the edge of the bed beside Raph's legs. She stared defiantly up at Leo as he glared at her, clearly outraged by her actions.

''You asked me if I really cared for him and I do, Leo, more than I can even begin to explain.''

Leo's body didn't relax but his face unclenched ever so slightly as he seemed to consider Rori's words. The fury in his gaze melted to a simmering anger and he took a deep breath to calm himself. He folded his arms and looked to the side for a moment before opening his mouth to say something. A tap at the door halted the words on his tongue and he turned to see Splinter standing in the doorway.

''Sensei?''

''My son, Miss Jones, is everything alright?''

Rori and Leo could only nod as Splinter stepped into the room and came to stand at the foot of the bed. He looked at Raphael with an unreadable expression for a moment, his eyes narrowed in thought.

''Leonardo, I am most disappointed that you would argue in the room where your brother is trying to recover.''

Leonardo immediately opened his mouth to defend himself but Splinter held up a paw.

''I am also disappointed that you would do so when you are a guest in this house. Miss Jones has been very gracious and accommodating to us and you would do well to remember that.''

Leo had the good grace to bow his head in shame. ''I am sorry, Master. You're right, my actions have been rude and I am sorry for that.''

Splinter nodded his head in approval. Leo lifted his head back up and turned to regard Rori coldly. ''But I will not apologise for what I think.'' He looked at his father and gestured to Rori with a swipe of his arm. ''You cannot honestly tell me that you think Raph would still be in this situation if it weren't for her?''

Splinter's whiskers twitched in disapproval. ''I believe that Raphael would do what he could for anybody if they were in danger.'' He looked down at Rori and his face softened a fraction. ''Though perhaps he would act in a way we would consider reckless when faced with the decision to protect those that he cares about.''

''But, Sensei-''

''I think it would be best if you leave your brother to his rest for now, my son, and get some sleep. You have been awake for too long and your health will begin to suffer if you do not rectify this. You may use the futon in my bedroom. I've tested it, it is most comfortable.'' The giant rat offered a kind smile to the stunned human sitting on the edge of the bed. ''I believe Miss Jones will be quite able to watch over Raphael for a while.''

Rori only nodded dumbly in response. Splinter reached out to gently scratch one of Rocky's ears before leading his eldest son towards the door. Leonardo glanced back and Rori met his eyes with a challenging look which followed him out of the room. As soon as they were out of sight, Rori released a loud, shaky breath and slouched forward to rest her head in her hands. She knew that Leonardo blamed her as much as she blamed herself, but it was still a blow to know that he held such contempt for her.

''Way to go for first impressions…''

Weariness overcame her suddenly, making her eyes water and her jaw click as she yawned widely. She dragged her aching body up and over to the chair that Leo had been occupying since their arrival, picked it up and moved it to the other side of the bed. As she sat on it, Rocky leapt up onto the bed and curled into a neat ball at the end so that he was covering Raphael's feet. Rori merely shook her head at his sheepish look before leaning forward so her head was resting upon her arms on the mattress. She knew that she needed to take a shower and get changed, but now that she was in the room with Raphael, she found no desire to leave.

She studied Raphael's face from her close proximity, admiring the absence of the tension that so often marred it when he was awake. His lush green skin was smooth, save for a few tiny scars here and there, and his lips were slack in an almost lazy smile. Slowly, with trepidation, Rori reached out a hand and placed it against his cheek. She moved her thumb in circles, marvelling at the feeling of his skin and the colour of it against the paleness of her fingers. She'd never had the chance to look at him so closely before, not for such an uninterrupted length of time. She'd always been wary of how she looked at Raph; anything more or less than what was considered the normal length of time to look at someone would make him suspicious and self-conscious. To be able to stare at him without question, without him wondering why, was something new to her and she took the chance to really gaze upon him, to really appreciate the wonder that he was. The only thing missing was the blazing warmth of his amber eyes and she felt her heart give a pang of sadness for their absence.

She couldn't say how long she laid there and looked at him. Her hand had moved from his cheek and had started a soft stroking motion across the length of his neck down to his wrist in repeated strokes that she hoped were as soothing to him as they were to her. The rest of the house was quiet, save for the faint rumble of the television, the hum of faraway voices and the general sounds of the house settling down for the night. Soon, her eyelids began to struggle under the weight of the sleep that was beckoning her. Try as she might, she couldn't fight it, so she took one last lingering look at Raphael's face and closed her eyes, hoping that when she next opened them, she would see his dark eyes looking back at her.

* * *

The twittering of birds outside the window broke Rori from the lingering grasp of her slumber. With a groan, she turned her head up to look at the ceiling, cracked open one eye and took in the dim light of the room. Noting that it was still only the very early hours of the morning, she gave another groan and buried her face back into the mattress, arching her back slightly to ease out the ache in her spine. There was a slow shuffle of movement on the bed and a low, throaty groan.

''Hey, Princess,''

That voice, husky and rich like molten gold, made her eyes snap open. Her heart flew into her throat and her breath escaped her in a disbelieving rush. She eased her head up and turned to look at the occupant of the bed. There was a split second of silence before Rori released a window-shaking scream that echoed throughout the entire house and toppled off her chair. Rocky immediately bolted off the edge of the bed with a furious yelp and skidded across the floor, looking around in bewilderment. He turned towards the bed and began to bark furiously, his teeth bared in a vicious snarl. Rori scrambled to her feet and dove towards him, seizing him by the collar and pulling him out of the room. A confused voice followed her out in the dark hallway but it did nothing to stop her from stumbling blindly down the hall, her mouth open as short frightened shrieks escaped her. The nearby bedroom doors flew open and Mikey, Donnie, Dexter, Ollie and Rosie dashed out to meet her with frantic, demanding shouts. Rori found herself promptly encased within Mikey's protective embrace while Rosie grabbed hold of a growling Rocky. There was a click of a switch, then the hallway was flooded with light and they all swarmed around her in panic.

''What? What is it? What happened?!''

''What's going on?!''

''Rori?!''

Rori let out another yell and pointed in the direction of the bedroom as a figure wrapped in a sheet staggered out into the hall.

''Whoa!'' Mikey pushed Rori behind him and stormed forward with Donnie. ''You better back the hell up, brah,'' he warned, taking up a defensive stance.

The figure clutched his head and stepped forward with a moan.

''Stay where you are!'' Donnie said loudly, his brown eyes narrowed in warning. ''Who are you and what are you doing here?''

Rocky let out a ferocious snarl and tore himself free from Rosie's grasp. His claws clicked loudly on the floor as he hurtled forward with a loud bark. His shaggy body stopped mere metres away from the intruder and his hackles stood completely on end as he growled threateningly.

''What the hell is going on?!''

The remaining occupants of the house appeared on the stairs behind the intruder who didn't turn to acknowledge them. Instead, he lowered his hand from his head and a pair of burning eyes opened to survey those standing in front of him. Rori let out a strangled gasp and clutched Dexter's arm for support as her knees buckled. Those eyes…she'd know them anywhere.

''Are you guys gonna get some damn sense into your heads an' realise that it's me?'' an exasperated and familiar voice filled the hallway. Immediately, Rocky's hackles lowered and, after a moment of sceptical sniffing, his tail began to wag furiously and he let out a joyful series of barks.

''…Raph?''

''Are you serious?''

''It's…that's impossible!''

The amber eyes rolled in annoyance. ''Well, clearly it's not 'cos here I am!'' He gave a sarcastic wave. ''What more proof do ya want?''

Rori swallowed and released her tight grip upon Dexter's arm to step forward. She ignored the whispered protests of her friends and kept her eyes firmly locked on the figure in front of her. She stared at him intently, fully aware that he was staring back with wary anticipation. Her eyes trailed up over the small display of muscular legs that disappeared under the sheet that was wrapped around his waist, leading up into a defined stomach and chiselled torso. They moved higher up over the burly planes of his chest, past the impressive thickness of his arms and the broadness of his strong shoulders, up to a face formed of a strong jaw, sharp cheekbones and full lips. A mess of very dark copper hair fell into the ochre eyes that shone captivatingly in the light.

''Raph?'' she whispered, lifting a hand to tentatively touch the golden skin of his cheek. ''Is it really you?''

His eyes widened at her touch before he gave a small nod, a flicker of a reassuring smile appearing on his face.

''Yeah,'' he said softly. ''It's me.''

Rori let out a laugh and a relieved grin broke out on her face as her eyes began to burn with tears. The hallway was instantly filled with a medley of voices as everyone began to speak at once, asking questions and voicing disbelief. Dexter, Ollie and Rosie could only look at one another in bewilderment while Donnie fell against the wall in shock. Splinter came to stand beside Raphael and looked up into his face for only a moment before he gave an accepting, if concerned, nod.

''Bro? It's really you?'' Mikey hurried forward eagerly to get a good look. ''Damn, you make one hell of a human!''

''How is this possible?'' April questioned, clutching her hair in disbelief.

Leo moved round to look closely into Raphael's face, earning a disgruntled look and a hard shove to the arm.

''Man…'' Casey said in a dismayed voice, lifting a hand to poke at the bulging muscles of one of Raphael's arm which immediately swung half-heartedly at him. ''Those are bigger than mine!''

Raph snorted. ''They were always bigger than yours, jackass.''

''Donatello,'' Splinter said loudly over the noise, addressing the turtle who was gaping at Raphael in complete astonishment. ''Do you have any light to shed on this…recent development?''

The chattering voices simmered down into silence as everyone turned to look at Donatello. He pushed forward from the wall and cleared his throat weakly. ''I…I think…''

Everybody waited with baited breath for an explanation. Raphael was silent for only a few seconds before he gave a loud groan. ''Spit it out, Brainiac!''

''I think…I need some coffee.''

There was a collective groan at his words.

''You really are an addict,'' Mikey grumbled before gesturing to the stairs. ''Alright, boys and girls, everybody downstairs so the caffeine addict can get his fix and we can get some answers.''

Everybody began to shuffle towards the stairs, murmuring amongst themselves in shock and confusion. Raphael took a wobbly step forward and clutched sharply at the sheet as it slid a few inches down his hips. Rori caught the movement and felt a furious blush cross her cheeks as he glanced down at her and she looked away quickly. He gave a frustrated grunt and tried to tie a knot in the sheet but the addition of more fingers than he was used to made it impossible. Rori awkwardly lifted her hands to help but Raph shook his head and cleared his throat loudly to catch Casey's attention.

''Hey, Case…''

Casey's head turned with a whip of his dark hair. ''Yeah?''

Raph grinned sheepishly. ''Mind if I raid your wardrobe?''

* * *

_If you hated it as much as I do, I don't blame you. No matter what I did, how I changed the sequence or description of certain parts it just never seemed to be exactly how I wanted but there you go, I've done the best I can. One thing I will say is that I quite enjoyed writing Leonardo in this chapter; I love his character because one minute he's a self righteous and pompous idiot who you want to deck in the face and then the next he's quite a fun and kind character who you want to give a hug because you know it'd make him blush a little. What I love about him is that everything that he does is born out of doing the right thing for his family, so even if he's acting like an idiot in this chapter, it's only because he's worried for Raph and hurt that his brother kept such a secret from him. Poor Leo =( _

_Also, I'd like to point out that while the views of ballet, dancing and the whole dancing world are not necessarily mine, I have friends who have been dancers for many years and some of the stories they tell are just absolutely horrific. One friend, who is very small and slender, had her favourite dancing outfit destroyed in the changing rooms right before a performance, so she had to perform in some ill-fitting costume that made her look ridiculous. Turns out it was done by a group of girls who were just simply jealous of her appearance and had no way of making themselves feel better but to make her feel as low as possible. I didn't want Rori to be some skinny waif with thighs the size of pins (not that there's anything wrong with that because some are naturally built like that and are also beautiful if it's a natural thing) wanted Rori to be a girl with a normal and lovely figure and appearance who still has body hang ups, as I think most of us feel the way that she does from time to time. Hopefully this has painted her in a more realistic light as I was concerned she would be perceived as 'too perfect', as a lot of original characters can be. _

_Also...what do you think of my human Raph? Oh, boy, let me tell you, I've had some dreams about him, although turtle Raph is just as lovely =D He's based on a mash up of many ideas I've had for what he would be like as a human. He's always been a cross between Han Solo, Sawyer from Lost and Kellan Lutz for me in both personality and appearances so I tried to incorporate some of that into his final 'design'. Obviously, if you don't like how he looks and have your own headcanon for him, just picture him how you wish, just as long as you keep reading! _

_Anyway, next chapter should be up in a few weeks...hopefully I won't struggle as much with that one. Til then, dear readers! _


	10. Chapter 10

_Hey guys! Hope you're all well. Sorry this took a bit longer to post, I've been so busy lately; just finding time for anything I actually enjoy seems to be quite a chore at the moment, unfortunately. Thanks to everyone who's reading and following and such. Thanks to Tiana for your review, I have to say I agree completely with you on the Beast front! Glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks to April for your review as well, it really made me smile; Happy birthday to your friend Gabby! Thank you both for reading :) And a huuuuuggeee thanks to Raigon for giving me some very kind and encouraging words recently, you really made me feel so much better and I'm very grateful to you for that :) _

_All reviews are extremely appreciated, as are follows and readers in general really! Please excuse any mistakes, it's only proofread by me and I am definitely no expert. _

_Disclaimer: No turtles are mine, boooo!_

* * *

Dawn broke brightly across the sky, casting glowing rays of light through the window of the kitchen and illuminating the figures huddled within the room. All of their gazes, a mixture of wary, confused and amazed, were locked on the unusual appearance of the one that had been a mutant turtle until a few hours ago. To his credit, Raphael was handling the scrutiny fairly well; the addition of a pair of jeans, a vest and a loose shirt had no doubt made him feel slightly less self-conscious, even if they were quite a snug fit. Still, they did nothing to distract from his drastically altered appearance. His dark eyes stared back at them all with an almost challenging glint before he let out a growl and turned his attention to Donatello.

''Goddamn it, Don! Ain't you gonna say anythin'?''

The purple-banded turtle lowered his coffee mug from his lips and wrapped his fingers fully around it. His face, although much more awake, still looked as baffled as it did when he had first clapped eyes on Raphael. He studied his brother intently, opened his mouth, closed it again and took another gulp of coffee.

''Donnie!''

''I don't know, alright?!'' Donnie snapped, throwing an arm up in exasperation.

Casey narrowed his eyes at him. ''What do you mean you don't know?''

Donnie's eyes glinted somewhat dangerously. ''How else can I say it? I have no idea, I have no clue, I've got zilch, nada, the lights are on but nobody's home, I really don't know-''

''Donatello,'' Splinter's calm yet stern voice cut across the turtle's ramblings. ''Please calm yourself.''

Donnie's manic expression relaxed into a look of sheepish embarrassment and he fell back against the side of the fridge. ''I'm sorry. It's just…I don't have any idea how this could have happened. I mean, I could make a bunch of educated guesses but without any equipment or my lab, I have no way of truly making a definitive answer.''

''I'll take an educated guess over nothin' at all, Don.'' Raph growled, folding his arms before grimacing at the awkward feeling of his new body.

''Well, whatever was in the substance that formed the ray of that gun has reacted with the mutagen in your blood. Vincent's…creations were a combination of human and animal DNA being viciously and dangerously combined together, resulting in the creatures we met. With you, however, the mutagen already gave you human characteristics, so instead of reverting you back to your original turtle form, it…'' Donnie gestured helplessly at Raph with his now empty coffee mug, ''clearly boosted the human characteristics by a significant amount.''

The dumbfounded silence that followed Donatello's explanation was rapidly broken by Mikey suddenly bursting into peals of delighted laughter. The youngest turtle clutched his sides and fell against Ollie who quickly held him up, unable to hide the amused twitching of his lips as he watched his new friend shake violently under the force of his mirth. The other occupants of the room watched him with a mixture of bewilderment and frustration; Raphael even made a move to smack him over the head but a stilling hand from Rori kept him in his seat.

''Michelangelo,'' Leo's reprimanding voice cut across Mikey's laughter. ''What the hell are you laughing at?''

''Oh,'' Mikey wheezed, using the ends of his bandana to wipe his streaming eyes. ''It's just-all of you are-acting like this-is a bad thing!''

Multiple looks were shared before Donnie placed his hands on the table and leant forward to peer closely at Mikey's watery eyes.

''Are you sure you didn't get hit too? How can you possibly think this is anything but a bad thing?! Our brother has been mutated!''

''Into a human!'' Mikey declared joyfully. ''Don't you understand what that means?'' He looked around expectantly at all of their confused faces before lowering his gaze to stare intently at them. ''He's _human._''

Sparks of realisation began to strike the others like little bolts of lightning; the frown on Leo's face deepened, Donnie's eyes shone with scientific wonder while Splinter merely closed his eyes in deep thought. As the human occupants of the room began to smile excitedly at one another, Rori tentatively reached out to take Raphael's hand, his human hand, and stared intently at the tanned fingers that shyly curled around hers. Her eyes lifted to his and she felt her throat tighten as his familiar golden gaze peered at her from an unrecognisable face. And yet, there was something about it that was eerily familiar. She couldn't deny that she had often wondered what Raphael would look like as a human man, but she had never pictured anything as…beautiful as the reality of that wonder.

''Dude,'' Casey's awed voice broke through their moment, ''you can do whatever you want. Go wherever. You can finally experience New York!''

Raph turned to eye his friend with incredulity. ''What are you talkin' about? I live in New York, dumbass.''

''Not like a human does,'' Casey said, an excited grin breaking out upon his face. ''Not in the way that New York is meant to be experienced, man. It's so much more than what you know.''

Raphael considered Casey's words, his thoughts drifting to the familiar city that he loved so dearly. How much more was there than what he already knew? He wasn't dense enough to not know that he lived a very different life to those who walked the streets freely, but he had a different kind of freedom that allowed him to see the city in ways that the humans never could. Still, for all the freedom that he had high up on the rooftops and deep beneath the sidewalks, he couldn't deny that he had always felt a sense of longing for something more but hadn't quite known what. Going to movies without a disguise, walking openly along the streets, strolling through Central Park in the daytime; could these things really be better than what he already had?

To be human though. He couldn't deny that he'd imagined what it would be like, couldn't pretend that he'd never wished that he could be something different than what he was. Those thoughts had been mere fantasies though, not something he had ever dared to consider as a possible reality.

Raphael stared down at the unfamiliar fingers that moved to his will against Rori's, squeezing her hand gently and releasing it again. To be able to spend time with his human friends without care or worry, to be able to be seen with Rori and no longer hidden away…

He lifted his gaze to Rori's face once again and felt his chest tighten as she looked back at him with an equal glimmer of wonder in her hazel eyes.

To be free...

''I am seriously so jealous of you right now,'' Mikey playfully growled, rising up from his chair and coming to stand beside Raphael. ''You think you're contagious? If I touch you will I change too?''

Raph leant back from Mikey's seeking hands, throwing an arm up in retaliation only to lose his balance on the chair and topple backwards. Rori and Mikey quickly seized hold of an arm each and hauled him back into a sitting positon, surveying his shocked face with concern. Raphael sucked in a breath and gritted his teeth against the aches and twinges of pain that fizzled throughout his new body; no doubt a result of the trauma he had sustained during the fight, along with the effects of the mutation.

''Guess it'll take you a while to get used to your humanness, huh?'' Mikey said cheerfully before glancing over at Donatello. ''Right, Donnie?''

Donnie downed the last of his coffee and walked over, tapping a finger against his lips in thought. ''That's actually a good point. While still impressive in height and muscle size, your human body will no doubt cause quite an unbalance to your equilibrium, at least until you get used to the difference.''

''You don't say,'' Raph bit out sarcastically, extending his arms and eyeing them sceptically.

''May as well get some training in while we're up here,'' Donnie said helpfully, earning an approving glance from Splinter.

''I just can't believe this,'' April said, combing a hand through her mussed hair with a breathy laugh.

''You're not the only one,'' Rori whispered.

''If our new friends wouldn't mind,'' Splinter said quietly, ''I'd like to have a private discussion with my family.''

Dexter, Rosie and Ollie immediately moved to stand up and Rori followed suit, only to pause in her movement as Raph's hand encircled her forearm and held on.

''They can listen to what ya have to say.''

Splinter's ears flattened ever so slightly against the side of his head. ''My son, there is much that we need to discuss.''

''Raph,'' Rori said softly, ''really, it's okay.''

Raphael didn't reply but his grip upon her arm loosened a little.

''I do not wish to tell you what to do in your own home, Miss Jones,'' Splinter addressed Rori in a calm voice. ''However, there is much that needs to be discussed between me and my sons. I'm sure you can appreciate this.''

Rori nodded dumbly before carefully, and somewhat reluctantly, easing her arm out of Raphael's grip. Raph's eyes followed her as she and the others exited the kitchen before turning back to look at Splinter.

''Sensei-

''Why did you not tell us, Raphael?''

Raph's face morphed into a constricted mix of anger and discomfort. Tons of explanations and indignant responses danced on his tongue; because he hadn't wanted to share, because he knew that he would be forbidden from seeing her, because he kept her a secret for too long, because-

''I wanted her to be safe.''

Splinter nodded as though this was the answer he had been expecting. ''But what about during your younger years? You were children when you met, you had barely begun your training. Did you worry for her safety then too?'

Raph shrugged a shoulder. ''I wasn't sure what to do, I guess. I saw her a few times to begin with. I was curious; she was the first human I'd ever spoken to an'…'' he felt his mouth twitch with a smile, ''she was nice an' wasn't scared of me. Then I began to see more of her an'…I guess there just never seemed to be a right time to tell any of ya.''

''You did not tell us because you believed that you would have been forbidden from seeing her again?'' Splinter questioned, although his tone indicated that he already knew the answer to his question.

Raph met his father's gaze with some reluctance before he nodded.

''But what about when we met April and Casey?'' Donnie asked. ''Didn't you feel like you could tell us then?''

''An' say what? 'Hey guys, these may be the first humans that you've ever spoken to, but I've actually been friends with one for the last five years?' Gimme a break, Don.''

''There's no way of sugar-coating this, Raphael,'' Leo said quietly, locking his hands beneath his chin. ''You've been lying to us for the last thirteen years.''

Raph glared at Leo, more out of a reluctant agreement than anything else. ''What d'ya want me to say, Fearless? You want me to beg for forgiveness or somethin'?''

''I want you to acknowledge the fact that you have been knowingly betraying our trust for an unforgiveable length of time.'' The leader spat harshly.

''It wasn't like that!'' Raph snarled, slamming a fist onto the table so hard that it made Donnie's coffee mug jump into the air. ''You ain't listenin'! Me bein' friends with her was never about hurtin' you or lyin' to any of ya, don't you get that?!''

''My sons!'' Splinter barked loudly as Leo abruptly pushed himself to his feet to challenge Raphael further. ''This bickering will not help the situation at all.''

Mikey, still standing beside Raphael, slowly raised a hand. Splinter blinked in bemusement at the gesture before acknowledging it.

''Yes, Michelangelo?''

''I used to leave notes for humans by storm drains when I was younger. I wanted a friend and I thought if I wrote some letters, someone would find one, write back and we'd be friends.''

Six pairs of eyes flickered to greet each other to share looks of confusion before moving back to Mikey. The youngest turtle looked back at them expectantly before raising his brow.

''Seriously? You really don't know where I'm going with this?''

''Somebody wrote back,'' April deduced and Mikey flashed her a grin.

''Yup. A girl, well, a woman really, named Rebecca. She let me call her Becks for short.''

''When was this?'' Leo asked.

''I was fourteen when I got my first letter.'' Mikey replied quickly, his grin turning into a wistful smile. ''She was cool, she was gonna be a teacher, fourth grade.''

''Did...did ya ever meet her?'' Raph's voice was full of quiet intrigue as he stared up at his baby brother with some kind of disbelieving wonder.

''I thought about it. Nearly asked her a few times but I never went through with it. Then the thing with the Shredder happened and I didn't write to her for a while and when I did…'' A sad glint shimmered in Mikey's blue eyes. ''She never wrote back.''

''Man…'' Casey whispered, clearly stunned by the revelation. ''Anything you two wanna confess?'' he asked Donnie and Leo who promptly looked at him in exasperation.

''Michelangelo, why did you feel the need to keep this…pen pal a secret?'' Splinter asked, his tone reflecting an emotion that wasn't quite identifiable, but Raphael suspected it was something bordering on disbelief at the disobedient actions of two of his sons.

''None of you asked me.''

''How could we ask you? We didn't know anything about it!'' Leo exclaimed, shoulders hunching and arms flying up in frustration. ''A lie of omission doesn't excuse either of you for risking our family's safety.''

''I didn't lie by omission,'' Mikey said, folding his arms and looking seriously at Leo. 'You didn't ask therefore I wasn't able to lie. Just like you didn't ask Raphael. Secrets aren't lying, Leo. Sure, we probably shouldn't have had them but no harm has come directly from them.''

''Have you just not experienced the events the rest of us have?!'' Leo snarled, rising so quickly that his chair fell to the floor. ''You're standing right beside the consequence of Raphael having a secret!''

''Would you get it through your fuckin' thick skull that this,'' Raphael gestured to himself, ''ain't got nothin' to do with Rori!''

''So you're telling me that you would have been struck by that beam had she not been there?''

''If it had been aimin' for any of you, yeah.''

''But it wasn't aiming for us,'' Leo said pointedly. ''It was aiming for her.''

''Couldn't this be a whole lot worse?'' Casey interjected, looking between the brothers hopefully. ''I mean, we're all here, we're all safe and…Guys, Raph is a damn human! That's just…'' He ruffled his shaggy hair and let out a bark of laughter. ''Haven't we all thought about this at one time or another? I know I have!''

He grinned at Raphael who found himself smirking and shaking his head at his friend. It was true that there had been a number of occasions where Casey had shared stories with him upon their nightly rooftop excursions and while the stories were always different, they always ended with the same lamenting wish for what could be and how different things would be if Raph was human. It wasn't that he hated being a turtle, it was more that he had just come to accept that's what he was because there was no undoing the reality of it. He couldn't deny that there were perks; the thick skin, protective shell and ability to hold his breath underwater for an impressively long time being a few, but that still didn't change the fact that, deep down, he had always longed for more, wanted to be more.

Damn well deserved more.

''Casey's right,'' Mikey said with an easy shrug. ''I've thought about it, a lot. And I know you guys all have too.''

Leo, clearly furious that he wasn't getting anywhere, turned to look at Splinter. The rat held up a paw to halt Leo's barrage of words that sought understanding from him and surveyed his family with a contemplative stare.

''Leonardo, I will not deny that your concerns and frustrations are warranted, nor will I pretend that I am not extremely disappointed in Raphael and Michelangelo for their lack of regard for the possible repercussions of their actions.''

Mikey's face paled slightly and he quickly scrambled for the right words to defend himself. ''But Sensei-''

''Both of you acted recklessly and are extremely fortunate that there were no negative consequences of your 'secrets'.''

''No negative consequences?! Sensei, Raphael has been mutated-''

''And he seems quite optimistic about it, wouldn't you agree?'' Splinter countered mildly, his attention now solely on Raphael. ''While I'll admit that our recent experiences were both frightening and unfortunate, I do not believe they were the result of Raphael's friendship with Miss Jones. It was a mere coincidence that our decision to investigate the building coincided with Vincent's manic desire to make an example of Max Jones and that is something we could not have predicted or prevented.''

Leo looked at Splinter as though he had suddenly sprouted three extra heads. The older turtle's face was lined with barely concealed fury and his frowning gaze glinted with a vicious light that seemed so alien for the usually stalwart turtle.

''So, after all this time, you've decided to tell us that it was basically pointless for me to do all the things I did to protect the family, to do whatever was in my power to uphold the rules that you insisted we follow?''

Splinter's whiskers twitched in displeasure as he looked up at Leonardo. ''You know that's not what I am saying, my son.''

''I don't know anything anymore,'' Leo grunted. With a final seething glare at Raphael, he turned and stormed from the room, slamming the kitchen door loudly behind him.

''Well,'' Donnie said after a moment, his quiet voice unusually loud in the resulting silence, ''I think that could have gone better.''

''And we thought Raph was the angry one,'' Mikey breathed, barely flinching from the lazy smack that Raph flung into his upper arm.

Splinter locked his paws together and exhaled slowly. ''Leonardo is very conflicted. He feels betrayed, confused and mislead by all these recent revelations and events and, for someone so confident and sure as your brother usually is, this is causing a great deal of struggle inside him.''

''Jackass needs to learn how to listen once in a while,'' Raph muttered.

''I do not believe you are in a position to be criticising the actions of anyone at the moment, Raphael,'' Splinter said sternly, causing Raphael to duck his head in silent agreement. ''You acted without true care or thought in your decision and while I stand by what I said before, I hope you can understand the upset that this has caused.''

''Yes, Master Splinter,'' Raph sighed, rubbing the back of his head and starting slightly at the feel of his newly acquired locks of hair.

''So,'' April looked at each of them in turn, ''what now?''

''I guess we keep an eye on the news for more information regarding Vincent and Mr Jones,'' Donnie replied with a shrug. ''We can't go back to the city until we know exactly what we're dealing with.''

''Yeah,'' Mikey agreed with a weak chuckle. ''No point in going back to just get kidnapped and held hostage all over again.''

''And what of Raphael's situation?''

Donnie looked at Raph and scratched his face in thought. ''As I said before, there's not a whole lot I can work out without my lab equipment.''

''If you want, I could drive into town and see if there's anything of use in the stores?'' April offered.

Donnie smiled at her. ''Yeah, that would be really great, April, thank you.''

''I'll go with ya,'' Casey groaned as he stood up to stretch. He looked towards the now glowing sky as the sun climbed ever higher to signal the start of the day and yawned widely. ''I gotta make a few calls first though.''

''Calls?'' Raph enquired.

''Yeah, there's a couple of jobs that we won't be able to finish on time,'' he said with an easy grin and pointedly stared at Raph. ''For obvious reasons.''

Raph flinched. ''How much business we gonna lose?''

Casey waved his hand as he left the room. ''Hardly any. I've got Angel to go in and cover base while we're gone but, for the sake of actually bein' professional, I figured I better call the guys personally.''

Raphael snorted at the thought of Angel's customer service skills before slowly getting to his feet. ''I'm…gonna go find Rori an' make sure she's okay.''

He slipped past Mikey, ignoring the teasing grin that his little brother was giving him.

''Looking to get some quality time with your girl?''

Quick as lightning, Raphael's hand flew out and seized Mikey by the tails of his bandana. The speed of the movement came as a surprise to both of them and Raphael found himself clutching the top of Mikey's shell in order to maintain his balance. Mikey chuckled lightly and winked at Raphael over his shoulder.

''Didn't know she had that much of an effect on you, bro.''

''Mikey, I swear-''

''Donatello, why don't you assist your brother in finding Miss Jones and her friends. I wish to speak with Michelangelo.''

Mikey swallowed loudly at Master Splinter's words. ''Ah, you sure it's me you wanna talk to?''

''Yes, Michelangelo. I am very eager to hear more about this pen pal of yours.''

''Knew I should have kept my mouth shut,'' Mikey mumbled.

''I'm glad ya didn't,'' Raph said reassuringly as he reached out to grab Donatello's proffered arm.

Mikey looked at them miserably before dropping down into one of the kitchen chairs, his sad eyes watching them until Donnie closed the kitchen door behind them. The purple-banded turtle kept an easy pace beside Raphael as he carefully moved his new form through the house towards the sound of quiet chatter.

''I'm not mad at you, by the way.''

Donnie's comment, spoken in his usual mild and casual tone, caught Raphael off guard.

''Huh?''

''I know that's what you're thinking; that we're all angry that you didn't tell us.'' Donnie said with a knowing glance. ''So I thought I'd let you know that I'm not angry, and I don't think Mikey is either.''

Raphael turned his gaze to the floor, his human face furrowed in thought. He had tortured himself with feelings of guilt over the years, almost driving himself insane with his constant uncertainty about what he should do. As time went by, his fear of his brother's possible reactions grew and grew until it was a dark demon that forever lingered in the back of his mind, tormenting him with sinister thoughts and dark accusations of lies and betrayal. He'd always prided himself on loyalty, of being the one to protect his family from harm, and yet he was the one who had messed with the trust that they had in him. He was the one who had done something that he wasn't sure that he would be able to forgive if the tables were turned.

''I'm guessing you've been driving yourself mad with this for a while, Raph. I think it's about time that you stop, don't you?''

Raph's haunted eyes lifted to Donnie's kind ones. ''How can ya just take this so easily? I'd be pissed if any of ya did somethin' like this.''

Donne shrugged. ''Okay, I'll admit that I'm a bit…bothered that you didn't think you could tell any of us. But, if the shoe was on the other foot, I know you'd forgive me, especially if you knew my actions were a result of trying to protect someone that I care about.''

Raph couldn't find the words to respond to the unwavering acceptance and understanding that emanated from his brother. Since they were children, Donatello had always been the one to face everything with a compassionate and helpful attitude and it was something Raphael, the embodiment of recklessness and frustration, could only marvel at. Unable to voice his gratitude for the steadfast rock that his brother had always been, he merely squeezed Donnie's arm as the turtle manoeuvred them out of the front door and out onto the porch that surrounded the outside of the house.

''Man, that's cold,'' Donnie said with a shiver as the chilly morning air hit them and found himself instantly pressing closer to Raphael.

''Hey, don't be stealin' my body heat!'' Raph responded with a playful swipe, effectively breaking himself away from Donnie's helpful presence. Donnie immediately reached out to grab him but Raph threw his hands up, taking a deep breath as he steadied himself on the decking.

''You okay?'' Donnie asked, his eyes looking Raphael over carefully.

''I…'' Raph took a few steps forward, straightening his spine as he did so. He took another two steps, lowering his arms as he did so until they were no longer aiding his balance. Another series of steadier steps had him turning to grin at Donnie. ''I think I'm good.''

Donnie shook his head in disbelief but grinned brightly. ''I hope so because you've got an audience.''

The chatter that they had been heading towards had completely faded away, leaving nothing but the twittering of the birds in the nearby trees. Raphael slowly lifted his head to look over at where Rori and her friends were sitting upon a wooden porch swing, a tartan blanket spread out across their fronts to protect them from the morning breeze. Rocky stood just in front of them, his furry body quivering and tail wagging under the effort of not hurtling towards Raphael with excitement.

''Well, go on.'' Donnie said, stepping closer to nudge Raph forward with a bump of his shoulder.

Raph glared at his brother's teasing smile before walking forwards, carefully placing one five toed foot in front of the other. His eyes moved to focus on Rori and his stomach did a weird flip-flop as she smiled encouragingly at him, her eyes crinkling in the corners.

''Hey,'' he said gruffly in acknowledgement, suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable under the continuous scrutiny of so many pairs of eyes.

''Hey,'' Rori said softly in reply, lifting the blanket off her lap to stand up.

''Did you guys sort everything out?'' Dexter asked, quickly grabbing the blanket and yanking it back up to his neck but not before throwing a reproachful look at Rori for exposing him to the cold.

''Sorta,'' Raph replied with a shrug. The motion jarred the gashes on his back that had appeared in place of the cracks on his shell and he flinched, letting out a hiss of pain that had Donatello hurrying to his side.

''Raph-''

''I'm alright, Don,'' Raph grumbled, waving his brother away.

Not convinced, Donnie sighed. ''Still, I'm going to make sure that April picks up some proper medical supplies, if nothing else.''

''We saw your brother go past a few minutes ago,'' Ollie said, gesturing to the leaf strewn pathway that led into the woods that surrounded the property. ''We did try calling out after him but, well, he seemed kinda pissed.''

''I take it he reacted how we always thought he would?'' Rori asked, eyebrows raising in knowing.

Raph nodded. ''He'll be alright in there, won't he? You said there ain't anyone else around?'' he asked with a jerk of his head towards the woods.

''Aside from the fish in the lake and the birds in the trees, not a soul,'' Rori affirmed.

Her words eased Raph's worries a little and he relaxed. A snuffling at his side brought his attention to Rocky who was sitting beside him, behind wiggling against the ground from the speed of his wagging tail. Raph chuckled and reached out to stroke him, rubbing his hand across the dog's snout and giving it a playful shake.

''It'll be good for him up here,'' he said, nodding at Rocky.

''Yeah, it will,'' Rori replied quickly, as though eager to prevent any silence from falling between them.

A look passed between Donatello and the others and Rosie cleared her throat. ''I think I'm gonna go take a shower,'' she announced with an exaggerated stretch.

Ollie echoed a similar intention and hopped to his feet, leaving Dexter to grab for the blanket as it slipped from his shoulders once more. As he proceeded to bundle himself back up in it, Ollie fixed him with a loaded and slightly menacing glare. The brunette sighed loudly and got to his feet, resembling a decrepit hermit as he shuffled after them. As they reached the door, Ollie grabbed the edge of the blanket and yanked it off Dexter, throwing it back onto the bench and shoving an outraged Dexter hurriedly inside.

''I'm gonna go find April, make sure she knows what to get down in town.'' Donnie said, smiling at them both before disappearing through the front door.

Rori watched them all go before looking down at her feet. Her bare toes twitched against the decking and Raph noticed the shiver that passed through her.

''You wanna go back inside?''

Rori lifted her gaze to his and shook her head.

''No…it's nice out here,'' She walked back to the bench and sat down, pulling the blanket back across her lap while Rocky curled up by her feet. ''Besides, I've never seen you outside in proper daytime before.''

''Yeah, well, you still haven't really,'' Raph said with a wry smile as he moved to join her. ''I mean, I'm hardly my usual self.''

''No, you're not.''

Something in the tone of her voice made Raph pause in his adjusting of the blanket over himself. He turned his head to look at her, his gaze immediately meeting hers as they stared back at him. He was sitting so closely beside her that he could see his reflection in the hazel pools of her eyes. In the morning sunshine, they seemed more green than brown and he found himself sinking into them, unable to really focus on anything else. There was a sadness to them, the same melancholy glow that had been present when her mother had died.

''Rori,'' he began, his voice quiet and uncertain. ''I…your dad…he-''

''I don't want to talk about him,'' Rori said harshly, the sudden venom in her voice making Raph frown.

''I know that leavin' him behind like that must've been-''

''He got what he deserved.''

''You think he deserved to die?!'' Raph responded incredulously, his words echoing so loudly in the air around them that the birds seem to be shocked into silence.

Rori's jaw clenched and her brows furrowed as she glared angrily at him. ''He brought it all on himself. He killed my mother, experimented on her like one of those_ animals_,'' she snarled, her hands curling into fists in her lap, ''and you think I'm supposed to be sad that he's gone?''

Raph looked at her pointedly. ''I know you are, Ror.''

Rori's lips pressed together in a thin line and her eyes shone with furious tears. The breeze captured a few tendrils of hair and whipped them across her forehead. With slight hesitation, Raph reached out and brushed them aside, moving his hand down to cup her jaw so that she couldn't look away from him.

''I know I really ain't one to talk 'bout this sorta thin' but…'' he sighed and stroked her skin with his thumb. ''There ain't a right or wrong way to feel. I get that you're angry an' that it hurts, okay? I get it, but I don't want you to torture yourself over everythin' that's happened.''

''But he-''

''-Had good intentions,'' Raph insisted. ''He did what he did 'cos he thought it was for the best.''

''That doesn't make it okay,'' Rori whispered thickly. ''None of what's happened is okay…because of him, Vincent did this to you…''.

She reached out to take his free hand, studying the strong fingers and smooth palm just like she had in the kitchen. ''So many times I wondered about what it would be like if you were human, wondered what it would be like for you to stop needing to hide in the dark.''

Raph breathed a laugh. ''You ain't the only one.''

The smile that he expected in response didn't appear on Rori's face. Instead, she merely blinked sadly at him. ''But I would never have wanted this to happen to you as a result of knowing me, of having to risk your life for me because of something that my father did.''

''I woulda jumped in front of ya regardless,'' Raph quickly stated, leaving no room for doubt. ''I don't regret doin' it. I'd do it again an' again if I had to.''

Rori's pulse thrummed fiercely beneath his fingertips as he spoke, bringing a sense of realisation for what he was saying and for how closely they were sitting. His hand still on her face, their fingers still intertwined over the blanket under which their legs pressed together, his face so near to hers that he could make out the faint freckles that dotted the skin just above her dark eyebrows.

''I ain't sorry,'' he breathed. ''I'd do it all over again if I had to, even if it made me mutate into somethin' horrific like those creatures we saw. I could never live with myself if I couldn't keep ya safe.''

He could practically see the conflicting thoughts ticking away in Rori's mind; how she didn't want him to need to keep her safe and how she had been unable to return the favour. It was something that had always been an unspoken thought between them and one of the reasons that he had elected to keep their friendship a secret. Aside from wanting to keep her safe from those who would do her harm, it had been also to keep her safe from her own desire to protect him. He'd heard enough from her stories over the years to know how far she would go to protect her friends; stopping Dexter from getting viciously beaten by a mugger by jumping on the lowlife's back and biting his ear had been one of the most memorable, so it went without saying that she would do all she could to keep Raphael safe too. Rori was by no means a violent person; she had no significant level of aggression or inner turmoil in the way that Raph did for she was more likely to laugh her feelings off than react brutally with them, but there was a natural protective instinct within her that almost made her as reckless as he was.

Even now, after the events that no doubt had her feelings and thoughts turning somersaults, she was still worrying for his wellbeing and he felt a surge of fierce emotion for her that made his head swim. A burning need to protect her, a furious desire to seek retribution for what had been done to her, settled within him and he gave her fingers a squeeze.

''Vincent will pay,'' he murmured. ''I swear.''

He let out a stunned grunt as Rori released his hand and leant forward to hug him, her arms curling over his shoulders in a tight embrace, her fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt. For all the touching and hugging that had been shared between them recently, he still didn't quite know how to respond when she initiated such close contact between them. Before, it had been because he was who he was; unsure, uncomfortable with himself and unwilling to really express how he felt. Now, somewhat coupled with those lingering traits, a discomfort and uncertainty about his new body led him to still respond to her tentatively, his sinewy forearms wrapping around her and gently pulling her close. Without the presence of his plastron, the way she pressed against him felt entirely different and he felt his heart catch within his chest at the sensation of her body moulding to his. The light breeze whipped her hair up again and it flickered past his nose, making him want to turn and bury his face in her sweet smelling locks. Instead, he opted for lifting a hand to slowly stroke it, his eyes watching intently as the stands slid between his fingers like silk.

As she let out a heavy breath and angled her face so that it pressed into the junction of skin between his neck and shoulder, he knew that something was different. If he was completely honest with himself, something had been different for a while but he'd been too blind or, more likely, unwilling to really see it. Throughout all of their friendship he had felt a strong affection for her, an unyielding need to protect her, to see her laugh, to see her happy. It had always been different to the relationship he shared with his brothers and the dynamic wasn't the same as what existed between him and Casey; even his friendship with April couldn't really be compared to what he had with Rori. He'd never really understood why it was different, much in the same way that he never understood why seeing her with a boyfriend filled him with an unshakeable rage or why her own affection for him had the ability to make him feel lighter than air.

So why was it so hard for him to understand what he was feeling? He still felt that affection, that unbreakable friendship that had allowed him to laugh when Rori got braces with elastic bands that would randomly snap and ping across the room; still felt the same care for the girl who had fixed up his wounds on multiple occasions when he'd been too reluctant to go home and face his family.

So why now, after all this time, did he feel an all-consuming need to hold her as close as possible and kiss her absolutely senseless?

A sudden crescendo of noise from somewhere inside the house broke through his thoughts and pulled them apart, their faces baring matching expressions of confusing as startled yells and screams rang out from somewhere on the second floor landing.

''_DUDE I'M SO SORRY!''_

''_DON'T YOU KNOCK BEFORE YOU WALK INTO A BATHROOM?!''_

''_I thought it was empty! I didn't see much, I swear!''_

''_What do you mean you didn't see much?!''_

''_Why didn't you lock the door?!''_

''_I DID!''_

As Mikey and Ollie's embarrassed and frantic discussion played out, the sound of a door crashing open cut across them.

''_What the hell are you two doing?!''_

Donnie's annoyed and exasperated voice did nothing to produce the outcome he was most likely hoping for, as the youngest turtle and his new friend immediately began to squabble again, their voices quickly accompanied by Rosie and Dexter's confused questions. Before Raph and Rori could even voice their own thoughts, the front door opened and an amused April stepped out, followed by a chuckling Casey.

''What happened?'' Rori asked.

''Mikey walked in on Ollie in the shower,'' Casey chortled, leaning against one of the porch pillars and clutching his side.

''Guess he's so used to you guys invading each other's privacy that he completely forgot to knock,'' April said with a shake of the head.

''Hey,'' Raph retorted, his eyebrows raising in slight indignation. ''That's all Mikey. The rest of us ain't got any desire to chat while havin' a wash, believe me.''

''I'll bet,'' Casey said, straightening up and eyeing Raph and Rori with a grin. ''You two, uh,'' he waggled his fingers back and forth, ''all good?''

Rori and Raph looked at each other, taking note of their close proximity, and quickly removed themselves from their embrace, ducking their heads awkwardly.

April rolled her eyes and shoved a sniggering Casey off the porch and towards the van. ''C'mon, you clown. You guys need anything while we're in town?'' She directed her gaze back to Raph and Rori who quickly shook their heads, eyes still looking at everything but each other.

''Alright, well, we'll see you in a little bit,'' April said, following Casey to the van. ''We'll see if we can pick you up some clothes too, Raph!''

Raph and Rori gave them a half-hearted wave as they sped off down the drive, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. The faint sound of bickering voices could still be heard over the trill of the birds and Raph sighed, casting his eyes towards the path that led into the woods.

''You should go and speak to him.''

Raph snorted. ''Why, so he can chew me out and make me feel like shit?''

''Because he's your brother.''

Raph growled and palmed his face, his skin tingling under the force of frustration that was now bubbling near the surface. He wanted to stay with Rori, help her deal with what she was keeping inside, as well as work out just what the hell was going on inside his own mind, but Leo…

Rori prodded his shoulder. ''Go. Take Rocky with you, he could do with the exercise.''

Raph looked down at the dog who lifted his head to stare back at him, his ears perked up at the mention of his name. With a grumble of reluctance, Raph slowly stood up, taking care to ensure his balance before moving away from the porch swing.

''You gonna be okay?''

Rori gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her weary eyes. ''I'll be fine.''

Raph knew that she didn't believe her words any more than he did but was determined to convince him otherwise. He decided to let it go for now; there would be plenty of time to talk, and argue no doubt, with her later. A walk would do him good, would help clear his mind and help him to try and make sense of the ridiculous thoughts whirling inside his head.

''Alright…C'mon, pooch.'' He motioned for Rocky to follow him.

''Raph…''

He paused in his stride to look back at Rori. ''Yeah?''

She looked like she was struggling with the decision to say something, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she shook her head and pointed to his feet.

''You might want to put some shoes on. Being barefoot as a mutant turtle is a lot less painful than walking barefoot through the woods as a human.''

Raph looked down at his bare feet and groaned. Being a human involved a lot more than he had ever really considered; remembering to wear shoes could only be the beginning of a deep well of differences between his current and former self. He threw another glance towards the woods, the impending conversation with Leo already creating a fierce throb in the back of his skull.

It was going to be a long, long day.

* * *

_Okay, so I know not a lot really happened in this chapter but we're starting to get down to the emotional nitty gritty of it all now, so I'm hoping you'll all enjoy it; I'm so excited to really flesh out Raph and Rori and the newly formed friendships between the others, along with how Raph and Leo deal with their opposed views and feelings on the situation; bloody idiots, I love 'em! _

_I may not be able to update in keeping with my three week schedule as much as possible due to work commitments and such but rest assured, it shouldn't take much longer than that most of the time. _

_Thanks for reading; all comments are welcome! Until next time :)_


	11. Chapter 11

_Hello, chums! Hope you're all well. First of all, I just want to say thanks to SSJ2Luke and Gabby for leaving me lovely reviews, they were truly appreciated :) Secondly, so sorry this has taken a bit longer, as usual I've been absolutely swamped and it just seems to be getting increasingly harder to find a way to make time for everything! I'm hoping to upload a new chapter of Playing Family in a week or two too, but it all depends on how much work I get done in that time; I've been slacking in order to actually get some writing done, which was naughty of me :/ Anyway, things are happening in this chapter so I hope you all enjoy. Reviews and comments are always greatly appreciated! _

_As always, proofread by me until my eyes went blurry, but apologies for any mistakes or errors. _

_Disclaimer: Nothing TMNT-related belongs to me. _

* * *

Raphael glared at the fallen branch that he had stumbled into and gave it a disgruntled kick to demonstrate his annoyance, only to hiss slightly as his tender human toes protested against the contact within Ollie's borrowed shoes. It was due to staring at the ill-fitting and slightly garish shoes that he'd ended up colliding with the branch, adding yet another point to his list of reasons why he didn't want to wear shoes. With a shake of his head, he purposefully set his gaze at the path ahead and continued his journey, trying to further acclimatise himself to his new form. He'd hardly had time to actually look at himself properly, to fully take in his new appearance, let alone get used to how everything functioned. He felt smaller somehow, more vulnerable. It wasn't like he thought humans were physically weak or inferior; Casey was the living, breathing example of just how strong and resilient the human body could be, and yet Raph couldn't help but feel that he'd lost half of his strength in the transformation. No matter what was happening in his life, he'd always been sure of his body, certain of its power and of its capability in any situation. Now, the one thing he had always relied on had deserted him and left him with nothing but feelings of confused anger and uncertainty.

He clenched his hands into fists, frowning at the alien sensation of folding more than his usual number of fingers into his palms. Up ahead, there was a scratching sound accompanied by some loud snuffling as Rocky ploughed through a mountain of leaves, tail sticking up in the air like a radar. The shaggy dog seemed to have latched on to Leonardo's scent the moment they had entered the woods and Raphael was quite content to follow him, confident in Rocky's tracking abilities. Allowing the dog to lead the way gave him more time to focus on his thoughts, on his efforts to try and clear his mind of the mess that had formed inside.

He was human…_human!_

He'd had this dream before. Of waking up to find everything, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, had been changed into the shape of a human man. The appearance was different each time; sometimes he was pale as snow with fair hair, other times he was as dark as night with hair the colour of coal. The only consistent thing was his eyes, the only thing that he ever recognised as part of his former self.

When he was younger, the dreams had been sporadic and easily pushed from his mind, nothing but mere wonderings of what it would be like to look and be different. However, the more time he spent with Rori and the more time he spent above ground, the more his dreams grew in frequency and vividness. He'd never really mentioned it to his brothers, not even when Mikey would sometimes voice his own ponderings or when Donnie would musingly lament how nice it would be to not have to rely on April and Casey for things. Leo had never spoken about it, which Raphael suspected had something to do with Splinter's mantra of how dangerous the human world could be. They'd heard it so many times in their youth and while it seemed to sit well with Leonardo, and Mikey and Donnie to a certain degree, it had only served to fuel Raphael's curiosity.

He'd voiced his thoughts to Leonardo, just once. It was right before he met Rori, the very same day in fact. It was how he'd ended up exploring the alley in which Rori had found him in. Leonardo had reacted with immediate disapproval to Raph's words, channelling his new bossy persona that Raph didn't very much care for, and had told Raphael that he should stop thinking about it because it was a pointless thing to think about. His dismissal and unwillingness to even entertain the idea had filled Raph with such furious rage that it took every ounce of his strength to not lash out at his older brother. Instead, determined to do something with his curiosity, he'd walked the sewer tunnels until he found one far away enough that nobody would find him, and he'd pushed open the manhole cover and stepped out into a whole new world where things awaited that he never could have imagined.

Frustration for his older brother took over him and he let out an angry growl loud enough to stop Rocky in his tracks. The dog turned his head to look back at Raph, his ears perked and his eyes wide with interest. Raph looked back at the dog and shook his head, lifting a hand to run his fingers through his new thick locks of hair, frowning in concern before remembering that he was no longer bald.

Hair was a strange and intriguing thing to him; when he was younger he'd always been fascinated by Master Splinter's fur and would always marvel at the feel of it whenever it brushed against his skin. Rori's raven mane had snared his attention many a time, filling him with a desire to constantly run his fingers through the shining tresses. April's hair was something to really marvel at, especially when the sun hit it at the perfect angle. Even Casey's hair, long and shaggy as it was, had intrigued Raph in a way that he suspected boiled down to the basic fact that he was all scale and shell, no hair at all. Now, his body was completely covered! He rubbed at the fluff on his arms, unsure of what to really make of it.

Rocky, having gone back to sniffing the ground, lifted his head up sharply, his ears twitching in response to a new sound. Raph moved next to him, listening out for what Rocky had picked up. The birdsong resonated around them and the typical noise of the woods filled the air, but it wasn't loud enough to cover the very faint yet unmistakeable sound of twigs snapping from somewhere further in the trees.

''Leo must be pissed if he's forgettin' to be his super stealthy self,'' Raph said to Rocky with a raised eyebrow.

At the sound of another twig cracking, Rocky suddenly let out a loud bark and sprang forward, his bushy tail flying high behind him like a flag as he took off down the path at an impressive speed. Raph, knowing Rori would never forgive him if he lost her dog, stumbled after him, desperately trying to keep his eyes on Rocky and not on his feet. His aching body protested the movement but he pushed himself onward, determined to regain control. After a few moments of awkward wobbling and faltering steps, his stumbling jog soon began to adjust into a fairly balanced run as his mind began to trust his body, allowing his legs to bend and extend and his feet to hit the ground hard as he hurried along the path. Glancing down at his running human legs in joyful disbelief, Raph lifted his head and let out a breathless laugh as confidence and sureness, tentative but very real and familiar, began to flow through him.

He was a ninja, goddamnit, no matter whether he was man or mutant.

He was Hamato Raphael, he was tough, he was strong, he didn't take shit from anyone or anything and he sure as hell wasn't about to let something like turning into a human change that.

As he hurtled through the woods, he bolstered himself into twisting and turning his body in a series of flips and cartwheels, throwing punches and kicks through the air as he went, revelling in the strange yet tantalising sensation of moving in his new form. Adrenaline burned through him like fire and he increased his speed in pursuit of Rocky.

''Rocky!'' he called, catching up to the running dog as they entered a darkened clearing with a small stream. ''Slow down, you crazy pooch! He'll hear us comin'!''

''The whole of the woods can hear you coming,'' a voice said loudly as a familiar green figure landed on the ground on the other side of the stream. Raph skidded to a halt just before the stream but Rocky ploughed right through it, stopping just short of Leo with a series of low growls. Leo looked down at the dog with a frown.

''What is your problem?'' he asked, as though expecting Rocky to give him an explanation.

Raph lifted his eyes up to the tree canopy above and let out a breath before looking at his brother. He'd obviously been training; his green skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat and there was a restlessness in his stature that indicated that he wasn't done in releasing his frustration.

''He can sense self-righteousness in people,'' Raph said. It was a cheap shot, but he knew no other way of goading his brother into saying what he was thinking.

Leo lifted his gaze slowly to Raph's, taking in the altered appearance of his younger brother once again.

''I would hardly called being concerned self-righteous, Raphael.''

''No, I don't suppose ya would,'' Raph retorted, smirking slightly as Rocky continued to growl up at Leo. He whistled through his teeth. ''C'mere, boy.''

Rocky snorted at Leo before padding back towards Raph, stopping to drink from the clear stream as he did so. Licking his chops in satisfaction, the shaggy dog flopped down at Raph's feet and panted lightly, clearly satisfied at having proven his loyalty to his friend.

''Did you want something?'' Leo demanded, clearly irritated. ''Or have you just decided to seek me out to wind me up?''

''To tell ya the truth, Fearless, I ain't really sure.'' Raph said with a shrug. ''I'm the one that's been mutated yet you seem to be the one with the issues.''

''Issues? You call wanting the best for my family and being the only one with sense an issue?'' Leo's eyes widened in disbelief. ''You could have died, Raphael!''

''I could've died plenty of times before now!''

''You-'' Leo closed his mouth against the snap retort that had tried to force its way out of his mouth and took a deep breath through his nose. ''You want me to be happy, is that it? Happy that you risked your life, that you could have been killed because you needlessly put yourself in danger?''

''Needlessly?'' Raph growled. ''The lunatic had a gun pointed at my best friend.''

''She shouldn't be your best friend! She shouldn't be in your life!'' Leo snapped, throwing his arms up in the air. ''If you hadn't been seeing her all these years, you wouldn't have had to risk your life to save her because she wouldn't have been there!''

''You got any idea how absolutely whacked you sound?!'' Raph snarled. ''What 'bout all the innocent people that we've all put our lives on the line for? All the citizens that we had to defend 'cos they couldn't defend themselves? This ain't any different except for the fact that Rori's my friend.''

''Defend and protect, yes, not sacrifice ourselves for!'' Leo stepped forward so that he was standing in the stream. ''What the hell were you thinking?''

''Ain't you been listenin'?!'' Raph threw his arms into the air. ''I really don't know how else to explain it to ya. If it had been you, or Donnie or Mikey, I would've done the same damn thing 'cos I would rather it be me. Rori fits into the same category. She's my friend an' I'll always put her safety over mine, especially when she can't do a damn thing to help herself.''

''Her father was partly responsible for this,'' Leo said with a nod at Raphael's body.

''The hell is the matter with you, Leo?'' Raph asked, his face completely furrowed in a frown. ''Rori ain't responsible for what her dad did an' you damn well know that.'' He stepped forward into the stream, taking care to kick off Ollie's shoes before he did so. ''Why don't ya just say what you really wanna say instead of tryin' to wind me up 'cos, to be perfectly honest, this is gettin' kinda dull.''

Leo glared up into his face. ''Oh, I'm sure you would think being responsible and logical as dull, seeing as you don't think of anyone else or consider how others might be affected by your actions. Must be exciting.''

He pulled away from Raph, water sloshing around his ankles as he moved. ''Can you imagine what it would be like if our roles were reversed? If I was the one who had acted recklessly?'' He turned to look at Raphael with an icy gaze. ''If I was the one who had betrayed my family's trust?''

Raph narrowed his eyes. ''I didn't betray-''

''You lied to us, Raph! For thirteen years! And for what? For some girl?''

''She ain't just some girl!''

''In comparison to the safety and protection of our family, she is,'' Leo argued. ''You risked our lives knowingly and repeatedly without care or remorse.''

''We were kids, Leo.'' Raph's jaw clenched as his frustration began to coil inside him like a spring. ''It wasn't a planned thing an' I sure as hell never betrayed ya. Maybe at the beginnin' I kept it quiet 'cos I just wanted somethin' that was mine, somethin' that I didn't have to share. After that, though…after we met April an' Casey, it stopped bein' about that an' started bein' about her safety.''

''You still could have told us,'' Leo murmured. ''Can you picture what it would be like if I was the one who had done this? Can you imagine Splinter's disappointment? You'd never stop holding it against me, that's for sure.''

''Oh, 'cos Splinter would only be disappointed in you, his perfect son?'' Raph snarled, kicking water into the air as he stomped towards Leo. ''Even now, when it ain't about you, you still manage to make it about you.''

''About me? It's never about me! It's always about you!'' Leo turned on him, his lips pulled back in an uncharacteristic snarl. ''You with your emotional instability and hot-headedness, and then there's me, always having to be the responsible one that everybody can take their frustration out on. All the years that I tried to help you, understand you, tried to show you that I was willing to listen to whatever it was that made you feel the way that you did, and you repay me by lying to me for over a decade.''

''Did you live in the same sewer den that I did?'' Raph exclaimed with a shove to Leo's shoulder. ''You did nothin' but criticise and lecture me. You were always so high an' mighty, can ya really blame me for not wantin' to tell ya a single damn thing about my life?'' He jabbed a finger in Leo's clenched face. ''You need to wake up an' face facts, Fearless. I didn't lie, I just didn't wanna tell you 'cos I didn't want to have to deal with your self-righteous bullshit.''

He made to move away, to take Rocky and head back towards the house before things got out of hand, but Leo's voice stopped him.

''You betrayed our trust, Raph. Whether you can admit it or not, that's the truth of the matter.''

''For the last time,'' Raph breathed, fighting to keep his temper in check. ''I didn't betray anyone.''

''What if Max or Vincent had used her to get to you sooner, huh? What if this had all happened a few years earlier, when we were all still in training, and they'd discovered our existence through your friendship with Rori? Would you still think you hadn't sacrificed our safety for your own gain then?''

From the side of the stream, Rocky lifted his head and bared his teeth in a growl as Leo approached Raph from behind. Raph's body tensed, the hair on his arms and the back of his neck standing on end, as Leo's presence seemed to curl around him, filling him with automatic defensive anger.

''You may think you didn't lie, Raph, and perhaps, in the technical sense, you didn't but you still put this family in danger. You still put your own wants and needs before the protection of your brothers, you still put our safety in jeopardy, all for some girl-''

Raph's left arm curved around by its own accord, rotating his body and sending his fist straight into Leo's jaw. The move was sloppy and uncoordinated, born out of pure emotion, and Leo quickly recovered from the strike. Rocky leapt to his feet and began barking incessantly as the two brothers immediately broke into a fight that displayed hardly any of their strict ninja upbringing. Instead, it was an aggressive, fast and vicious exchange of blows that turned them into a blur of mismatched colour. Hands slammed fiercely against skin in a constant stream of punches and hits that had them both yelling loudly. Raph, previously uncertain about the strength and endurance of his new body, was impressed and grateful that it seemed to hold up well enough against the onslaught of blows that Leo was hurling at him. He shouldn't have been too surprised; Casey was more than capable of going toe to toe with any of them and walking away with only a few bruises, so it stood to reason that he would be able to do the same. He felt a sense of smug satisfaction mix with the unbridled loathing he currently felt for his brother as Leo seemed to falter under the realisation that his hits weren't rendering Raph an apologetic mess on the floor.

''You-need-to-admit-to-your-mistakes-Raph!'' Leo shouted, his words emphasised with a blow each time.

''Go to hell, Fearless!''

Rocky's barking grew louder as they splashed about in the stream, kicking up water in every direction as they crashed together again and again.

''Being human won't change anything, you know!'' Leo snarled, aiming a roundhouse kick that Raph barely dodged. ''Being human won't change what you did, won't give you what you want, won't make her want you-''

''SHUT UP!

With a furious yell, Raph lunged for Leo and caught him fully around the chest. They toppled downwards, Leo landing in the stream with Raph on top of him, battering every bit of his brother that he could. Leo's face disappeared beneath the shallow water as Raph rained down blow after blow, bellowing out his hatred and rage in wordless screams. Leo's hands, having been feebly returning the punches that Raph threw, suddenly seized hold of Raph's wrists and held them tight before his legs curled up and launched into Raph's chest, sending him flying backwards. Raph couldn't stop himself as he flew through the air and collided head first with the thick trunk of a tree. As he felt himself rapidly sinking into unconsciousness, he bizarrely found himself fervently hoping that Ollie's shoes were still dry.

* * *

''Hey, uh, Rori?''

Rori looked up to where Michelangelo stood in the doorway of her bedroom.

''Hey, Mikey,'' she said, lowering her book into her lap. ''You okay?''

''Yeah. I was just about to get started on lunch and I was wondering if there was anything you fancied?''

Rori thought for a moment. ''Raph said something about these meatball sub sandwiches that you make…''

A grin spread across Mikey's face. ''Oh, yeah. Those are his favourites.'' He flexed his fingers. ''I'm pretty sure I can whip up a few of those.''

He turned to leave but then stopped and faced her again. ''Did…Did Raph ever talk about us much?''

Rori placed her bookmark in between the pages of her book and set it on the bedside table. ''All the time.''

Mikey came into the room and sat on the bed, looking at her with such an innocent and eager expression that Rori felt her heart melt just a little bit. ''What did he say?''

Rori shrugged. ''He said a lot of things, depending on his mood and what you guys were up to at the time.''

''What about me?''

''He'd always talk about your latest pranks. He'd act like they really annoyed him but there'd always be this little smile on his face when he talked about them.''

Mikey's eyes lit up. ''Really?''

Rori nodded. ''Yeah. You drive him nuts most of the time but I think that's one of the reasons why he loves you so much.''

''Really?''

''Mikey, you're his baby brother, he bloody adores you,'' Rori said with a pat to Mikey's hand.

There was an odd expression on Mikey's face, as though he'd been told a secret so fantastic that he couldn't even find the right emotion to react with.

''Why are you asking me this?''

''I…He was always my hero when we were little,'' Mikey said quietly with a soft smile. ''I'd do anything to get him to notice me, even if it made him really mad, which it did most of the time. I guess I just…I wanted to know what he really thinks of me.''

Rori fought the urge to suddenly lean over and hug him, even though she suspected that he probably wouldn't mind at all. ''Trust me, Mikey. You could wind him up every single minute of every single day and he'd still speak of you as highly as he does.'' She paused before giving him a pointed look. ''But you didn't hear any of that from me.''

Mikey beamed at her, his blue eyes sparkling with joy, before a pensive look crossed his face. ''It's weird, you probably know quite a lot about me and my bros, but we don't know very much about you. Raph's been telling you stories about us for years. All I know about you is that your name is Rori, you're twenty three and you have a big house in the country.''

Rori was silently grateful that he left out the fact that he also knew about her father.

''Well, what do you want to know? I'm a hair stylist, I live in an apartment near the park, I like movies, books, dancing-''

''But what kind of movies? What kind of books? What kind of dancing?!'' Mikey demanded, flailing his arms. ''You know what? You better come and sit with me while I make lunch 'cos this could take a while.''

Rori could only let out a startled laugh as Mikey seized her by the hand and dragged her from the room and down towards the lower part of the house. The enthusiasm and warmness that emanated from the youngest turtle wrapped around her like a soft, comforting blanket, bringing a small yet genuine smile to her face. He propelled her into a chair at the kitchen table and proceeded to ransack the fridge and cupboards, covering the sideboards in a mountain of items.

''Okay, let's start with favourite movie,'' he said as he began to manhandle a hunk of mince in a bowl.

''Erm…I've got a fair few but I guess my ultimate favourite would have to be _Hook.''_

Mikey nodded in approval. ''What are your feelings on sci-fi?''

''I like it, as long as it's a well thought out story.''

''Horror movies?''

''Sure, except anything to do with children or animals.''

Mikey grabbed a few pots of herbs and poured a small amount from each one into the bowl. ''What are your thoughts on Bruce Willis?''

As Mikey prepared lunch, the two of them chatted back and forth, quoting their favourite movie scenes and talking about the plot lines of certain graphic novels. Rori wasn't much of a gamer; luckily, Dexter was something of an addict and quickly joined in the conversation upon entering the kitchen to investigate the delicious smells coming from the stove.

''I can't believe you're not into video games,'' Mikey said, shaking his head as he bent down to check the ciabatta roles that were toasting in the oven. ''It's like reading a book, except it's interactive.''

Rori laughed. ''I've tried. I like watching Dex play them, I just don't have the patience for actually pushing all the buttons myself.''

''She gets very angry,'' Dexter stage whispered to Mikey who nodded seriously.

Rori glared at them both as Donatello walked into the room, accompanied by Rosie and Ollie. Mikey, upon looking up from the stove to greet them, turned a dark shade of green and grinned shyly at Ollie before quickly moving to remove the bread from the oven. Ollie also blushed a vivid shade of red that made his hair seem even blonder and quickly sat down at the table, avoiding everyone's gaze. The others shared a look while a mischievous glint that Rori knew all too well sparked to life in Dexter's brown eyes.

''Sooo…you looking forward to trying Mikey's meatballs, Ollie?''

Rosie made a noise crossed between a snort and a squeal and promptly buried her reddening face in her hands to hide her amusement. Donnie shook his head and grinned into his freshly poured mug of coffee. Mikey, busy slathering the roles with sauce and seasoning, didn't say anything but his head began to tuck down slightly into his shell.

''It's a shame that you didn't offer to help, Ollie. Mikey's meatballs would've gone down a treat with those noodles that you make,'' Dexter continued in an obnoxious tone. ''What do you think, Mikey? I bet you would have liked to try Ollie's noodle...Noodles, I mean.''

There was a clatter as Mikey dropped a spoon onto the floor, spraying marinara sauce up the side of Rosie's jeans. As Mikey profusely apologised, both Dexter and Rosie leapt up to find something to clean up the stain with, causing them to collide with one another and stumble into the fridge. Dexter clutched Rosie's elbows as she leant into his chest and gawked up at his face with an expression of stunned embarrassment. The tension between them, along with the awkwardness between Ollie and Mikey, sizzled in a way that Rori swore she could physically feel.

''Lunch about ready?'' Donnie asked loudly, looking at Rori in awkward desperation.

The atmosphere broke into noise once more as the others moved quickly, breaking their gazes and dodging past one another to find something in which to occupy themselves with. Rori raised an eyebrow at Donnie before jerking her head surreptitiously in Mikey's direction. The purple-banded turtle merely shrugged before taking another sip of coffee, his eyes sparkling with laughter as he watched the others awkwardly dance around each other. For the first time in what felt like a horribly long time, Rori felt the anger and sadness that had been clutching her soul start to loosen its grip, just enough for her to relax ever so slightly and enjoy the comfort of being with her friends.

* * *

''-ph? Can you hear me? Raph!''

Hands shook his shoulders before a palm slapped his cheek roughly. Raph groaned and immediately lifted his hands to clutch at his pounding head. There was a quiet sigh of relief from above him and he opened an eye to see Leo's concerned face looking down at him. A threatening series of growls came from somewhere behind him and he knew that Rocky was standing protectively nearby.

''Can you do something about this dog? He won't stop growling at me.''

''That's cos he knows you're a jackass.'' Raph muttered as he slowly moved to sit up.

''Just wait a sec-''

''I don't need your help, Fearless,'' Raph snarled, shoving his brother's hands away as he propped himself up. A cursory feel of his scalp brought his attention to a fairly sizeable bump underneath his hair from where he had struck the tree.

''We need to get you back to the house so Donnie can take a look at you.''

''Oh, so now you care?'' Raph snapped, gripping the side of the tree he had struck in order to pull himself up. ''Maybe you should've thought of that b'fore ya started spoutin' all your pretentious bullshit.''

''Oh, for crying out loud, Raph!'' Leo yelled, throwing his hands out in exasperation. ''You really think that you're the only one who's ever dreamed of more? Ever spent a night torturing yourself over all the what ifs? The difference between you and me is that I cannot afford to let myself become distracted by selfish and ridiculous dreams. Because that's all this is, Raph,'' he said, gesturing to Raph, ''it's all just a dream that you're going to have to wake up from eventually.''

''Says who?'' Raph spat, straightening himself up to his full height and trying to blink away the dizzy blackness that swam over his vision. ''What the hell gives you the fuckin' right to tell me what I can and can't decide?''

''Open your eyes! What are you gonna do? Go out into the world, get a job, a house, get married, have some kids? Get real, Raphael.''

''I already have a job, dumbass.''

''Oh, sure, in one sense of the word. You don't exist, Raph, at least, not in the way the human world would need you to exist. You don't have a birth certificate, a driver's license, any official proof that you're real. This isn't a damn science fiction movie where things just magically fall into place; this is real life.''

''Real life?! Mutant turtles don't exist in real life and yet,'' he flicked his fingers at Leo before gesturing to himself. ''here we are.''

Leo clenched his jaw and looked away, the frustration pulling horrible lines across his face, making him seem older than he actually was.

''I will not be made to feel like the guilty one, Raphael, '' he said in a low voice. ''I have always done the best for this family, even when doing so put me at odds with all of you. You think I like being the bad guy? That I like having you all hate me because I'm the one who has to make the hard choices and say the stuff that nobody wants to admit? I do it because I have to.''

He looked back up into Raphael's face, his expression now passive and void of emotion. ''You are the one who has lied to us, put our safety in danger and put your own selfish desires above the needs of our family, not me. You chose to pursue a friendship with a girl over upholding the protection of our family, and yet you have the audacity to stand there and act as though I'm the one who is in the wrong?''

Raph took a deep breath to try and quell the wave of nausea that was rising inside of him. ''If ya actually had any damn sense or care for how others feel instead of bein' so goddamn obsessed with your own views of what is right an' wrong, ya might just understand a few things, like why I became friends with her in the first place.''

Leo folded his arms. ''Alright, enlighten me.''

''You really need me to spell it out? You were Splinter Junior, the perfect son, Donnie was the genius who could perform miracles, an' Mikey was the little prankster who could always make everyone laugh. Me? I was the troublesome an' difficult one that nobody wanted to understand or deal with.''

''That's not true-''

''Ain't it? The night I met her was after that time when I actually tried to talk to ya 'bout somethin' an' you just threw it back in my face. So, you want someone to blame, Leo? Look in the goddamn mirror, 'cos I wouldn't have gone up there searchin' for somethin' better if ya hadn't made me feel like my feelin's an' dreams meant absolutely fuck all.''

Leo looked like he was in pain. His eyes held a somewhat hollow glow to them while his jaw was slightly agape in disbelief. Creases marred the skin of his forehead as he frowned in thought before shaking his head, his bandana tails flying out to the side from the movement.

''That doesn't excuse anything! You didn't need to keep seeing her, didn't need to keep running the risk of revealing the rest of us.''

''As if I would stop seein' her! She was my friend, she was kind to me an' better yet, she actually cared 'bout what I had to say!'' Raph tightened his grip on the tree as he felt his knees buckle slightly. His mouth filled rapidly with saliva and he swallowed heavily against the sickly lump in his throat. ''You're such a hypocrite. You were fine when April an' Casey came into our lives.''

''That was different. Us meeting them was born out of circumstances out of our control, whereas you chose to seek Rori out, you chose to willingly expose yourself so don't try and get out of this by comparing-whoa, are you alright?!''

Raph groaned as he slumped forward into Leo's arms, reluctantly clutching his brother's shoulders as the dizziness overtook him. He managed to pet Rocky's head reassuringly as Leo led him to a fallen log, easing him down onto it with gentle care before stepping back to retrieve Ollie's thankfully dry trainers. For a moment, the only sound that passed between them was Raph's deliberately slow and loud breathing as he tried to push away the horrible claggy feeling in his chest while slipping Ollie's shoes back onto his feet.

Leo sighed through his nose. ''What is it with this girl anyway?''

''What d'ya mean?'' Raph grumbled, lifting his gaze to Leo's as the older turtle crouched down to his eye level.

''I mean, what is it about her that made you keep going back?''

Raph was silent for a moment as he tried to summon the right words, momentarily forgetting his fury. ''I can't even explain her, Fearless. She's just…somethin' else. She sobs her heart out at war documentaries but still insists on watching them, she reads books that scare her so bad she has to sleep with the light on. She's smart, she's kind, and when she dances…'' Raph trailed off as he caught the way that his brother was looking at him. ''What?''

''You're in love with her.''

Raph physically choked at the words, turning to glare at his brother in outrage, only to find himself fixing his brother with a stare that was almost desperate. Leo nodded and a wry smile flickered to life on his face. ''You really are, aren't you?''

Raph couldn't bring himself to respond, couldn't even begin to try and work out just exactly what those words truly meant for him. He didn't fight or recoil as Leo looped an arm around his chest and helped him to stand.

''C'mon, let's get back.''

Raph started to blindly follow him before he stopped, causing Leo to look at him in confusion. ''This don't change anythin', ya know. We ain't suddenly best buds again.''

''When are we ever?'' Leo replied with a tilt of his head. ''I'm more concerned about getting you back to the house so Donnie can look you over. Raph…For what it's worth…I hate the thought of you ever feeling like you don't matter or that you weren't important.'' Leo took a deep breath, as though what he was about to say was extremely difficult for him. ''I…I'm sorry.''

Raph looked at him properly, studying the sincere expression on his brother's face. The bitter anger and disappointment that had been so prominent before now only lingered in the tired lines by Leo's eyes, giving way to a more regretful yet concerned appearance. There was no definitive moment for when they had become at odds with each other, it just happened slowly until one day, they could barely make it through a week without spitting venom at one another. Despite what he suspected Leo might think, Raph didn't enjoy fighting with his brother, but sometimes it just felt necessary to do so. He didn't hate Leo, far from it, but the burning furnace of anger inside of himself was simply too much to ignore in the face of Leo's words. Looking at his brother now, Raph felt resentment roil sickeningly in his stomach and he snorted, his lips curling into a sneer.

''You ain't sorry, big brother. You never are.''

Leo's mouth fell open in surprise as Raph pushed away from his supportive embrace and stumbled forward, heading out of the clearing with a woozy yet determined stride. Rocky, casting a reproachful look at Leo as he passed, hurried to follow his friend, taking care to keep his presence close as Raph staggered along. Leo watched them go with a sad sigh, his brow furrowing in thought before he followed on at a much slower pace.

* * *

Raph wrenched open the front door with more ferocity than was necessary, not bothering to hold it open for Leo as he stepped into the house, Rocky at his heels. The dizziness and nausea had ebbed away into a faint niggle and he was able to stride through the house without a single falter or stumble, coming to stand in the open doorway of the kitchen, from which drifted loud chatter, noisy laughter and delicious smells. He found himself leaning against the door frame with a small smile as he watched Rori and Mikey laugh uproariously as they performed a ridiculous imitation of the running man dance while the other occupants of the kitchen cheered them on. The remnants of subway sandwiches lay on plates scattered across the table, while the sink was already piled high with various dishes and pans. As Mikey spun away and simply began to demonstrate whatever dance moves that he knew, Rori's sparkling gaze turned and caught sight of Raph standing in the doorway. The smile on her face grew even larger for a split second before she detected that something was wrong, her eyebrows furrowing in unspoken question.

Before either of them could say anything, Leo slipped past Raphael. ''Donatello, you need to take a look at Raphael.''

Donnie rose from his seat at the table, a wary expression on his face as his eyes flickered between his two brothers. ''Why, what's the matter?''

''He hit his head in the woods and is experiencing dizziness.''

''Was, Leo, was,'' Raph snapped, rolling his eyes as Donnie closed in on him with his doctor face firmly in place. ''I'm fine, Don.''

''I'll be the judge of that,'' Donnie replied firmly, pointing to his recently vacated chair. ''Sit.''

As a grumbling Raph did as he was told, Splinter emerged from the lounge.

''What is the matter, my sons?''

Raph flinched under Donatello's gentle touch on his scalp. ''Nothin', Sensei.''

Splinter watched Donnie bend his knees to look into Raph's glaring eyes and instruct Raph to follow his finger as he moved it across Raph's field of vision, studying the eye movements very carefully. ''This does not look like nothing, Raphael.''

''It's my fault,'' Leo said quietly, causing everyone but Raphael to look at him. ''We…got into a disagreement and I knocked Raph into a tree, causing him to hit his head.''

''Is this true, Raphael?''

Raph merely grunted, shoving Donnie's hand away from his face. ''Pretty much. It was a cheap shot.''

''Well, cheap shot or not, I'd still like to keep a close eye on you for the rest of the day,'' Donnie said, straightening up. ''No strenuous activities, alright?''

''Aww, but what if Leo wants to go for round two?'' Raph quipped sarcastically, turning to give Leo a look full of daggers. ''He might still have some high an' mighty opinions to bestow on me.''

Leo folded his arms and glared in response while Splinter let out a sigh.

''Fighting amongst yourselves is not the answer to dealing with your problems.''

''We wouldn't have needed to fight if Raphael were willing to listen,'' Leo said, unable to keep his frustrations hidden. ''It was a lack of judgement of my part that made me retaliate but-''

''Retaliate?!'' Raph snarled, standing up so quickly that his chair screeched horribly across the floor. ''You were the one who started it! Tellin' me that I betrayed the family, that I shouldn't have risked my life to protect my friend, actin' like everythin' is about you!''

''Raphael! Calm yourself!'' Splinter commanded as Raph made to move around the table towards Leo, his face marred with dangerous fury.

''No, fuck this!'' Raph pulled against the restraining hands that Mikey and Donnie now had on him. ''I ain't gonna let him make me feel bad for protectin' someone that I care about.''

''That's not what I'm saying,'' Leo sighed, palming the space between his eyes as though it was hurting.

The argument increased in volume as Raph hurled obscenities at Leo while his younger brothers tried to placate him. Rori and her friends could only watch the scene unfold with wide eyes as Splinter shook his head in disappointment before attempting to break it up. The noise that filled the kitchen prevented them from hearing the door slam open and the hurried footsteps that followed. It was only Casey's breathless appearance in the doorway that brought the room into some form of order.

''Casey? What's the matter?'' Donnie demanded as their human friend flapped his hand towards the lounge.

''We heard somethin' about Vincent on the radio. C'mon!''

That was all it took for them all to vacate the kitchen and rush into the living room where April was already standing with the remote in her hand. She skipped a few channels before the screen displayed a news report and they all fell into complete silence.

''_We now go to our reporter at the scene, Jenny Smith.''_

The screen changed from the news room to a picture of a familiar blonde reporter standing outside the desolate ruins of the ChemLab building. In the hazy late morning light of the city, it looked more horrendous than Rori remembered.

''_Thank you, Michael. As of twenty minutes ago, an official report has been issued by the police which states that they believe to have found the remains of Gale Vincent and Max Jones within the debris of the ChemLab building. While official identification and further investigation is still pending, police are almost certain that the remains are that of the two missing businessmen. This information throws the investigation into a new light as more questions will need to be answered, such as what were the two men doing when the building exploded, were they somehow involved in the disaster, and what will happen to their businesses in the event of their demise?''_

''_I understand that Vincent is believed to have no living family members?''_

Jenny paused as the question was filtered through her ear piece before she nodded.

''_That's right, Michael. However, it is known that Max Jones does have a daughter, so it is to be expected that she will be notified and proper channels will be followed along with the investigation process.''_

As the reporter continued to talk, Rori became aware of the heavy silence within the room. Everybody was silent and still, their gazes fixated on the screen, all except for Raph who was watching her carefully.

Her father was dead. She knew that, she'd known that when she'd left him behind to burn with the rest of the building.

Vincent…If Vincent was dead, that meant that they could go home, that they weren't in danger of being pursued or hunted down.

The sound of her mobile ringing within her pocket made her jump and her hand slowly moved down to retrieve it. She didn't need to look at the screen to know who would be calling her; she'd known who it would be ever since her mother had passed away, after which her father had deemed it appropriate to brief her extensively on the procedures that would be put into action in the event of his own death.

Rori took a quick breath and slid her finger across the screen to accept the call. ''Hello.'' She answered it without a questioning tone, barely touching the phone to her ear.

''_Aurora, it's Jackson.''_

''I'm in Connecticut.''

There was an exasperated sigh on the other end. _''The hell are you doing up there?''_

''Something came up,'' Rori replied, her voice betraying nothing.

''_Aurora…your father-''_

''I've seen the news, Jackson.''

Jackson didn't reply to that. Rori could hear his breathing rattle on the line as he tried to think of the best angle in which to approach her. Rori had never liked Jackson; she knew that some lawyers could be conniving and ruthless in their approach, but Jackson took it to a completely different level. He was firmly on her father's side and always had been ever since her father had employed him many years ago to deal with the family's personal affairs, but Rori had always suspected that Jackson's loyalty was gained mostly through money rather than personal feelings.

''_I'm…so sorry for your loss, Aurora, I truly am. Your father was a…a wonderful man.''_

Rori couldn't help the harsh sounding giggle that escaped her lips. ''Jackson, you probably know better than anyone that that's complete bullshit.''

''_Aurora-''_

''So what do you need me to come and sign?''

Jackson coughed wetly. _''There's quite a lot more to it than that. You need to get back to town, now.''_

Rori paused, turning her attention to the other occupants of the room. They all pointedly looked away, refocusing their attention on the ongoing news report. She studied them all carefully, friends new and old, and tapped the phone against the side of her head in thought. They were safe here, tucked away from reality, far away from the troubles of real life. They could stay here for a long while if they really wanted to.

Except they couldn't.

Real life was expecting them and they had to go back, whether they truly wanted to or not. She couldn't keep them hidden away with her any more than she could deny Raphael the chance to experience the life he had been longing for.

''_Aurora?''_

An image of Raphael walking along the sun strewn sidewalks of New York, bold and beautiful, with her beside him filled her mind. The thought stole her breath and made her knees feel weak, and for a moment she struggled to remember why she didn't want to go home.

Raph moved close enough for Rori to feel the heat coming from his golden skin. She glanced up into his face, meeting his eyes with an unsure gaze. His human face was smooth except for the lines of concern that furrowed his forehead. Without thinking, she held out her free hand and he took it with only the barest hint of hesitation, lacing their fingers together with a gentle squeeze, clearly not caring that everybody else could see the interaction. Comforting touches and gentle contact had suddenly become so natural and necessary between them over the last few days that Rori didn't dwell on the action and merely held on to him with a tight grip.

''_Aurora? Are you still there?''_

Rori sighed and placed the phone closer to her ear. ''Can you give me three days?''

''_Not really, the media is already crawling all over the place. I've already had to move mountains to keep them away from you as it is.''_

''They don't even know what I look like!''

''_Trust me, sweetheart,''_ his accent added a 'sh' sound to the word, _''it won't take them long to find out.''_

''Wow, you're really selling this to me, Jackson.''

''_Hey, your father paid me to be honest, and nine times out of ten, the truth is ugly.'' _He huffed in displeasure. _''You have one day. Tomorrow night, I'll be at your apartment and you better be there or so help me-''_

''Alright, Jackson, I'll be there.''

She hung up the phone and lowered her hand, tossing the phone over to the couch so she could pet Rocky's head as he came to lean against her leg, whining softly. She tightened her grip on Raph's hand, refusing to acknowledge the tears that were itching the back of her eyes or the sympathetic and sad stares that were focused on her. She pasted a fake smile onto her lips and tried to keep her voice from cracking.

''Looks like we're going home.''

* * *

_Gotta love a bit of Leo and Raph angst and aggression! I know Leo comes across as a bit of an asshat in this, but I'm basing him off his 2003/2007 incarnations and they, especially his 2007 version, had the tendency to be a bit of a douchebag in certain situations. Leo typically has good intentions but I believe that this can lead him to act like a bit of a pompous pain in the ass sometimes, which is so much fun to write, especially when it means that Raph can play off against him! Still, underneath the animosity there is still brotherly love and massive care between them, which allows Leo to actually realise that Raph is in love with Rori; I know that wasn't really expanded on but it will be in later chapters, as will the issues between Raph and Leo. I really toyed with keeping them all up in the house for a while as there was much that could be done with it, but for progression purposes I felt it best to get them back into the city as soon as possible in order to delve more into Rori and Raph's blossoming relationship.  
_

_Also, as some of you may have noticed, there's a...thing between Mikey and Ollie. Now, my headcanon has always gone with the idea that Mikey is bisexual as I feel that Mikey is such a massive ball of love and kindness and, while he appreciates beauty and attractiveness, he focuses more on personality instead of gender. I'd quite like to fit this potential relationship into the sidelines, much like Rosie and Dexter, in which it will factor a little but by no means take centre stage at all. I understand some people may not like this as they may just not be interested or may not see it working or being believable or whatever, so even though it's my story and I can and should do what I want with it, if there is massive objection to it I probably won't include it, as it won't change much of what I've already planned out or written already, but if not, then hurray! :D _

_Anyway, I think that's it for now! See you all at the next chapter! _


	12. Chapter 12

_Hi, guys. Sorry it's been so long, there's just been a lot going on in my life lately and I barely have time for anything, let alone working on this fic. This chapter is really short and sucky but I wanted to get something out. I'm working on the next installment but I can't even say when I'll be able to get it up because I really just have no time at the moment. Between general homelife, work, coursework, placement, and trying to work on additional fics and pay attention to my other interests (which I also have no real time fo!r) I'm unable to dedicate all my attention to this fic, but I'll do my very best to get it out as quick as possible. Among other things, I've had some pretty harsh trolling on this fic from 'members of the fandom', if you can call them that, as well been witness to some disgraceful behaviour from 'fans' online and it's just made me feel so blahh with the tmnt fandom at the moment, which is a shame and hopefully it's something I'll get over soon, but it's been playing havoc with my ninja turtle muse. Hopefully you all understand and as I said, I'll do my very best because I still very much want to tell this story. Thanks to those who have reviewed and messaged me, hopefully this will be satisfactory enough for now._

_Disclaimer: Nothign recogniseable is mine. _

* * *

Rori stared unseeingly up at the ceiling, her fingers gently raking up and down Rocky's back, creating little grooves in his thick fur. His tail slowly weaved from side to side in lazy appreciation of her attention, knocking into her shoulder and tickling her chin. She hardly noticed, just as she hardly noticed the rain that was heaving itself against the window. Not long after the horrible reintroduction of Jackson into her life, Rori had felt a desperate need to be away from everyone, to distance herself from their kind words and their comforting auras. With barely a word, she had pulled away from Raphael, ignoring his confused stare, and retreated to her room, permitting only her four legged friend to join her. She didn't really know how long she had been up there, but it was long enough for the weather to take a drastic turn, for the sky to blacken and for the rain to pour relentlessly. All the sounds of the house; the faint chattering from downstairs, the creaking of the plumbing and droning of the television became muffled under the furious pattering of water upon the building.

Rori only became aware of the knocking on her door when it turned into a loud pounding before swinging open, jolting both human and dog upright in surprise.

''What the hell is the matter with you?!'' Rori demanded, falling back against her pillows with a shaky breath.

Raph blinked at her reproachfully before closing the door. ''Me? You're the one who's gone deaf!''

Rori closed her eyes. ''Did it ever occur to you that maybe I was ignoring you?''

''Don't care.'' The bed dipped a little under the extra weight as Raph sat down. ''Stayin' cooped up in here ain't gonna help.''

''Help what?''

''Don't play dumb with me, Princess,'' Raph retorted. ''You know damn well what.''

Rori slapped her hands on the bedspread, making Rocky shuffle off with a moody grumble. ''Raph…there's nothing else for me to say.''

Raph groaned. ''D'ya have to be so difficult?''

''Difficult?! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise that I was becoming such a problem for you.''

''That ain't what I said-''

''What do you expect me to do?'' Rori demanded, scrabbling from the bed to her feet. ''Burst into a song from _Annie_ and accept my new status as an orphan with a cheery smile?''

''No-''

''Because that's what I am, Raph, an orphan, and it's ALL HIS DAMN FAULT!''

Rori startled herself with the force of her sudden yell, clutching her chest in surprise as it heaved with a sharp breath. Her glistening eyes locked with Raph's and he clenched his fists at the forlorn expression on her face.

''He did this…my father made me an orphan,'' Rori whispered, her eyes widening as the realisation finally started to hit her. ''He did this and I can't even say anything to him about it because he's dead…''

Raph began to reach towards her but she backed away a little, her hands sliding up into her messy hair and her chest rising and falling quickly. ''He killed my mother. My dad killed my mother and now he's left me to deal with this all by myself...''

''You ain't by yourself,'' Raph murmured, managing to seize her arms and pull them away from her face. ''We're all here for ya.''

''What can any of you do?'' Rori whispered, her eyes locking onto his face. ''Apart from offer awkward comfort and nice words, what can any of you do to make this easier?''

Raph sighed, his brow furrowing as he unconsciously rubbed his thumbs against the worn material of the hoodie she was wearing. It was a tatty thing, something he had managed to lift from a delivery truck a few years ago for her birthday. It was fraying and a distant memory of the deep red it had once been, but Rori still refused to throw it out. He nestled the tips of his fingers into the gathering of fabric above her wrists before moving his hands down to take hold of hers.

''I don't know what I'm supposed to say. You know I ain't any good at this sorta stuff…'' He huffed out a breath and stared over her head in thought for a moment. ''Nothin' but time is gonna make this any easier.''

Rori snorted. ''Time? Time won't give me answers.''

''Maybe not,'' Raph replied, holding fast to her hands as she moved to back away, ''but it'll help ya deal with the fact that you don't have 'em.''

Rori moved her melancholy stare from his face down to where their hands were clasped together. Raph felt a tingle skip across his skin as her fingers slowly moved against his, her soft skin brushing against the natural roughness of his human skin.

''How do you know that?'' she asked in a voice so quiet that Raph barely heard her.

''Hey,'' he let go of one of her hands to press his fingers to the underside of her chin, tilting her face up so he could look into her eyes again. ''Have I ever steered ya wrong?''

Rori shook her head immediately and he flashed her a reassuring grin that had her mouth twitching in return.

''Trust me, Ror, you'll be okay. I'll make sure ya are.''

He didn't have time to react as she immediately bundled herself into him, her arms winding around his waist and gripping the back of his shirt while her head nestled itself just beneath his chin. Just like earlier that day, his body became alight with strange sensations that made his heart hammer inside his chest and his skin buzz with electricity. He automatically curved his arms around her just like before, but this time he found himself burying his nose into her hair and pressing her closer than he had before. They were a better fit this way, he realised. Without his plastron in the way, he could mould himself to her embrace, make it so she was pressed against a comforting softness and not the harsh pressure of his normal self. The realisation was strange and he unconsciously held her tighter, feeling her respond in kind, her fingers digging almost painfully into the back of his shoulders.

_You're in love with her._

Raph felt his stomach twist and tumble as Leo's words came back to him, swarming around inside his head in a merciless taunt.

_You really are, aren't you?_

Damn, he knew it was true. He'd known for so long but he'd never had the courage to admit it to himself. How could he not love her? For all she was, for all her sweetness and idiosyncrasies and pain in the ass habits, for all her kindness and loyalty, for her beauty and for the way she looked at him that made him feel like a million movie clichés all rolled into one. She drove him absolutely insane sometimes; ironically, for things that he knew he had no right to judge her for, like hiding her feelings and brooding over things too much. Still, it was the kind of insane that made him feel like she was worth it, that she was able to understand him in a way that nobody else could.

_You're in love with her. _

Feeling the way he did for her didn't change what he was. Even before he'd really ever had an inkling that he felt _something _for her, he'd always been conscious of their differences, more so than he ever was with April and Casey. He knew that it didn't really bother her, that when she looked at him she saw her best friend, nothing else. When he looked at her, he saw something, someone, truly wonderful who sparked something to life within him that he had never been quite able to explain.

As he unconsciously rocked her on the spot and tightened their embrace even more, he found himself considering the very impossible. What if there was a possibility for something to come to life between them? What if, in the wake of horror and chaos, there was a chance for something he had only ever dared to merely dream of?

_You really are, aren't you?_

God, but he would do anything imaginable to protect her, to make her feel cared for, to show her that she wasn't alone. The intensity of emotion burned fiercely within his chest and he found himself drawing in a ragged gasp of breath against the onslaught, unable to fully bear the weight of it all. He closed his eyes as he felt Rori tilt her head back and move away slightly to look up at his face, hoping that he could find some way to explain away just what the hell was going on. He made a short choking sound as a hand, soft and familiar, carefully placed itself on the underside of his jaw, a thumb barely skimming the tip of his chin as the palm cupped his face gently. As her skin pressed against his, he found he could no longer keep his eyes shut. They cracked open to look down at the girl still encased within his arms, and he was startled to realise just how close her face was to his own. He felt somewhat confused, amongst everything else, to see the look of intense concentration that furrowed her brow and made her tongue poke out ever so slightly from behind her lips.

''W-what is it?'' he murmured.

''I…'' Rori paused and shook her head, her eyes narrowing. ''I'm not really sure.''

The silence that fell between them was practically pulsing with what Raph could only identify as burning curiosity. His eyes studied her face intently, landing on a piece of errant hair that rested beside her left eye. Without thinking, he lifted his hand to move it and froze as Rori's breath hitched loudly in response, her shoulders hunching up in surprise. His hand lingered in suspended motion, the unfamiliar sensation of panic stilling his blood and gripping his bones so fiercely that he found that he was too stricken to move. It took a few agonising seconds for their eyes to meet again but when they did, Raph knew that whatever battle he was trying to fight with himself was truly lost. He watched as his hand slowly moved to caress Rori's cheek, as her eyes became wide with anticipation and dark with desire, as her face drew even closer to his own and suddenly, he found that he really wasn't so bothered about losing anymore.

''Raph! RAPH! Where you at?''

At the sound of Mikey's voice and Rocky's responding bark, Rori and Raph sprang away from each other, stumbling backwards and sharing awkward and somewhat terrified looks just as the door opened without a single knock.

''There you are!'' Mikey declared with an exaggerated flail of his arms. ''Storm's clearing away so we're heading out for some training. Give you a chance to test out your new humanness and….'' He trailed off and looked between the two of them suspiciously. ''Am I interrupting something here?'' He gestured at them with a grin creeping across his face. '''Cos I can totally come back if you two-''

''Stop talkin', knucklehead,'' Raph snarled, stalking forward to grab hold of his brother and push him out the door. Before leaving the room, he turned his head to look back at Rori who only stared back at him with a frown of bemusement, her hand placed against her chest as it rose and fell slowly. ''See ya later.''

Rori swallowed audibly and smiled weakly. ''See you.''

* * *

''For the last time, shell-for-brains, nothin' was happenin'! Now drop it b'fore I drop you!''

Mikey skipped out of reach of Raph's swinging arm, bumping into Donatello who merely chuckled and pushed him away. Up ahead, Leonardo turned to regard them with a mildly disapproving stare but there was no mistaking the warm glint in his brown eyes.

''Would you guys quit fooling around?''

''Don't blame me,'' Donnie said with an affronted chuckle. ''It's these two idiots.''

''Who are you calling an idiot?!''

''Well, if the shoe fits…''

''…But we don't wear shoes!''

As Donnie and Mikey descended into a playful bickering match, Raph found himself walking side by side across the slushy land with Leo who had slowed his pace to match that of his brother. Raph purposefully kept his eyes forward, refusing to catch Leo's infuriatingly calm gaze. After a few minutes of walking with nothing but Mikey and Donnie's chatter to fill the air, Raph couldn't stand it anymore.

''You gonna say somethin'?'' he snapped, lifting his head to glare hotly at Leo.

Leo didn't look at him. ''What do you want me to say?''

Raph let out a low growl. ''Whatever it is that's runnin' round that smug little brain of yours.''

Leo chuckled. ''Thanks for the insult.''

Raph felt unexplainable anger bubble up inside of him. ''You're fuckin' unbelievable, ya know that?'' he hissed quietly so Donnie and Mikey wouldn't hear. ''One minute you're chewin' me out an' actin' like I'm some kinda selfish asshole, an' now you're just actin' like nothin's wrong!''

''We can hardly be at each other's throats all the time, Raph.'' Leo stated simply. ''I still meant what I said before but…I guess I'm just trying to see things from your point of view.''

Raph frowned. ''My point of view? You ain't got a damn clue 'bout my point of view, Fearless.''

Leo sighed. ''Maybe so, but I still like to think that I know you well have enough to have some sort of idea.''

A dark and bitter chuckle left Raph's lips. ''Brother, you ain't got a single fuckin' clue.''

Leo's face contorted into an ugly frown but there was no time for further discussion as they drew into the clearing where Raph and Leo had fought previously. Mikey whistled appreciatively at the glistening canopy above. ''Man, this place is totally gorgeous.''

''You can say that again.'' Donnie agreed, taking in a deep lungful of air.

''Alright,'' Leo said, turning to face them all. ''The threat of Vincent may be gone but that doesn't mean we can't reflect on what happened.'' He gestured to a sullen looking Raphael. ''Raph's…transformation, while temporary, is something we need to factor into our approach when fighting criminals. I think working on some simple defensive and offensive manoeuvres along with some endurance and stamina training should be our focus for today.''

There was an awkward silence before Donnie cleared his throat. ''There's no guarantee that his change is temporary.''

Leo's eyes narrowed. ''It has to be.''

Donnie cocked his head. ''Why does it? Those creatures we encountered didn't look like they'd be reverting back to their former selves any time soon so it's doubtful that Raph will either.''

''But his blood was mutated in a different way, wasn't it?'' Mikey asked.

''Yes but the fundamental mechanics of the whole thing are pretty much the same, near as I can tell. When we get back to the city, I'll be able to run some extensive tests to get a better idea but, even then, I still think it's unlikely that he'll change back on his own.''

Raph, who had been staring angrily at the floor, looked up. ''What you sayin'? That I'm gonna be this way forever?''

Donnie scratched the side of his beak before offering a sympathetic grimace. ''It's a possibility.''

''How much of a possibility?'' Leo demanded.

''Without knowing more information or anything about a possible antidote or method to reverse the mutation…a big possibility.''

The babbling of the nearby stream and twittering call of the birds became the only sound as the four brothers stood looking at one another in a grim silence. Raph moved over to the water and stared down at his shimmering reflection, still unable to fully comprehend the human face that looked back at him.

''Well, look on the bright side.'' Mikey said in a voice full of false cheer as he came to stand beside Raphael.

''What's that?'' Raph mumbled, studying his brother's green reflection in the water with a grimace as his chest began to ache strangely.

Mikey gave him a tense and overly cheesy grin, trying to mask his discontent. ''At least you're good looking now!''

* * *

''Enough stalling, tell me now!''

''I don't know what you're talking about, now let go of me before I punch you in your face!''

Rori stopped in her descent down the stairs to the kitchen and hurried back up them, a frown creasing her face as she moved down the hallway to where Dexter and Ollie's voices were bickering from inside their shared room. She looked inside to find Ollie sprawled in a wicker chair that sat by the window with Dexter towering over him, their hands loosely fisted in each other's shirts and expressions of frustrated amusement on both their faces.

''What the bloody hell are you two doing?!''

''This little cretin has got the hots for Mikey and he won't admit it!'' Dexter declared manically, giving Ollie a gentle shake.

A slow grin eased itself on Rori's face and she chuckled, coming to stand beside them in order to look knowingly down at her embarrassed friend. ''How can you possibly deny it?''

''I seriously have no idea what you two are talking about!'' Ollie protested, removing a hand from Dexter to rub the back of his rapidly reddening neck.

''Oh, please!'' Dexter snorted. ''You forget how many times I've watched you scope out men over the years, I know all the tell-tale signs and let me tell you now, you're about two sneaky glances away from visibly drooling.''

''What are you all doing?''

The three friends looked round to see Rosie standing in the door, her phone clutched tightly in her hand.

''Just asking Ollie about his newfound friendship with a certain turtle,'' Dexter crowed, shaking a grumbling Ollie again.

''Oh, right,'' Rosie murmured, looking down at her feet.

''What's the matter?'' Rori asked, moving closer to her.

''I…erm…'' Rosie lifted her head and smiled weakly, lifting her phone up with a small wiggle. ''Work called. They, uh…they fired me.''

''What?!'' Dexter darted over, maintaining his grip on Ollie's shirt and pulling him out of the chair after him. ''What are you talking about?''

Rosie swallowed loudly, her eyes shining with tears and her face creased with the effort of containing them. ''They needed me in tonight and I said that I had swapped my shift with Julia, that it had been all worked out ages ago, and they claimed that Julia said this never happened…even though she covered my last few shifts and…they said that on account of my lying and unreliability, they had to let me go…''

Her voice grew steadily quieter as she spoke until Dexter swept her up in a hug and she buried her face into his chest, sobbing silently. Dexter swore loudly and stroked her ponytail comfortingly while Ollie and Rori looked at each other in dismay.

''They can't just do that,'' Ollie stated, crinkling his brow. ''It's your word against hers, surely-''

''Julie's been there longer than me,'' Rosie's muffled voice replied. ''They believed her and that's it.''

''Ugh, this is such bullshit.'' Ollie said and walked back to flop dramatically back into his chair. ''What next? Are we all gonna suddenly become victims of fraud now or something?''

''Yeah, 'cos that's as bad as what's been happening to us recently,'' Dexter muttered sharply, pressing a kiss to Rosie's hair before pushing her back so he could see her face again. ''You were too good for that place anyway.''

Rosie shook her head. ''Doesn't change the fact that I'm now out of a job, which means I'll lose my apartment and-''

''Work with us.''

Rosie blinked, as did Ollie, at Dexter's words. ''W-what?''

Rori felt a grin, strong and happy, begin to form on her lips as she recognised the triumphant glint in Dexter's warm eyes.

''Work with me and Ollie.''

''B-but I don't know the first thing about selling-''

''No, don't you see? We should have done this years ago! You can advertise for us!'' Dexter cheered, gripping Rosie by the upper arms and shaking her excitedly, his face positively glowing. ''You wanna be a singer, don't you? You can promote our events and sales by singing about them! It's bound to get you noticed! We can set you up a little stage at the shop, you can do covers of songs that relate to our merchandise, we can get you costumes-''

''Whoa!'' Ollie cried, leaping back up from his chair with a delighted grin on his face. ''Why didn't we ever think of this?! This will really show those jackasses down at Merch For You.''

Rori frowned. ''What's Merch For You?''

''That store that uses a guy dressed as famous characters to chase people through Times Square to get them to come into the store.'' Dexter rubbed his hands together in glee. ''We'll definitely trounce those assholes now!''

''I'll say!'' Ollie crowed, raking his hands through his hair in his excitement, causing him to resemble a cockatoo. ''This is just the sort of thing our customers will love!''

Dexter grinned at him before turning back to Rosie. ''What do you say?'' He held out his hand to her, his fingers curled in invitation. ''This could end up being the best thing that ever happened to you.''

Rosie looked at Dexter's hand before lifting her gaze to his face, and suddenly the offer didn't seem to just be about the shop anymore. Rori saw the expression on Rosie's face change ever so slightly, just enough to highlight the moment where she saw Dexter in a completely different light. Rori smiled secretly to herself, feeling her chest tingle in excitement for her friends as Rosie reached up and took Dexter's hand in her own and held it tight.

''Thank you,'' she said wetly, fresh tears falling down her face. ''Both of you.''

Ollie's grin merely grew bigger while Dexter gave her hand a noticeable squeeze. Rosie smiled at them both before turning her attention to Rori, her happy expression dropping into one of dismay almost immediately.

''Oh, God, Rori…'' She scrubbed the tears from her red cheeks. ''I'm sorry…Fuck, here's me crying over me losing my job and you-''

''It's okay,'' Rori interrupted, unwilling to hear the end of Rosie's sentence. ''Can we just…not talk about what happened…at least until we get back home?'' She smiled weakly but surely. ''This is a good thing for you, for all of you…we need good right now.''

She'd momentarily forgotten, just for a split second, about everything as she took part in the happiness of her friends. It was a blissful yet fleeting feeling and she desired more of it, wished so much for it to be more than a passing sensation. She clutched desperately at the vanishing joy within that belonged more to her friends than to her, before hurriedly stepping forward to meet their warm embraces, anchoring herself to their loyalty and care for her and hoped, wished and prayed that nothing would ever terrify them all so badly ever again.

* * *

''Sir…''

''What is it, Grey?''

The sound of a throat clearing uncomfortably echoed harshly in the room. ''Jackson has made contact. She will be returning to the city in due course.''

A vicious grin glinted in the light emanating from the swinging chandelier. ''Excellent. And what of the latest addition to our little family of creatures?''

''We're are commencing the final stages of our preparation.''

''Perfect.'' There was a creak of a chair as Vincent stood and turned to survey the twinkling city lights outside of the window. ''We must be careful in our execution and wait for the opportune moment to strike.''

''And when will that be, Sir?''

Vincent chuckled happily. ''When she and her despicable friends least expect it.''

* * *

_Thanks for reading!  
_


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